Life Unexpected
by LoveLaughTaylor
Summary: After Edward leaves in New Moon, Bella finds herself pregnant and alone. She turns to the Volturi, who accept her and her daughter, Renesmee. A hundred years later, Nessie convinces her mother and the Volturi to let her throw a grand ball for her hundredth birthday, but fails to mention to her mother that she intends to invite the Cullens.
1. Prolouge

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. Additionally, it has been about five years since I actually read the Twilight books, so there may be a couple minor inaccuracies, just go with it.**

 **Bella's POV-**

It's been a little over a hundred years since _he_ left—A hundred years since he left me stranded alone in the middle of the forest with a broken heart. Despite the fact that it has been over a century, it still pains me to even speak his name… Edward Cullen, the man I once thought had been the love of my life…The one who felt it appropriate to play with my heart and leave once our relationship became too inconvenient for him. He tried to justify his abandonment with excuses such as myself being too fragile for his dangerous lifestyle, and when that didn't have me convinced, he admitted that I had never meant anything to him and didn't want me to be a part of his forever. I only wish that I had known of his true feelings before giving in to my naïve teenage desires a week before my eighteenth birthday, two weeks before he disappeared.

There I sat in the middle of the forest for about three hours broken by the news I had just received when I had the sharpest pain I had ever experienced in my lower abdomen. I felt as if I had been shot, but I had heard no sound nor was there anyone else around. As much as I wanted to sit and just cry in the middle of the forest for the next fifty years, I knew that what I was feeling couldn't be normal so I began trying to navigate my way back to my house. After about thirty minutes of wandering around, I felt the pain again, but this time it was accompanied by a wave of nausea and dizziness. I sat down on the forest floor for what seemed to be a minute and before I knew it, I was unconscious.

The next few days were a blur, but I remember waking up at home not knowing how I got there. For days, I constantly felt sick and got terrible pains in the same place on my lower abdomen. I dismissed everything as being side-effects of being broken hearted. It wasn't until I noticed a small bump on my stomach that it registered that I may be pregnant. I quickly gathered everything that I could carry with me and left. I didn't know where I was going, but I knew I had to leave. I regret never being able to say goodbye to my father. For all he knew, I could have been kidnapped or killed.

The only people that I wanted to see were gone now and I was all alone. How was I, Isabella Marie Swan, a human "too fragile" to be in a relationship with a vampire going to raise one on my own? As I was driving as far away from Forks as possible, a thought occurred to me. _They_ had once mentioned a group of vampires called the Volturi who were considered to be the royalty of the vampire kind. I had heard stories of their great power and knowledge from Carlisle and… _him_. I realized that, as dangerous as it may be, they would know the most about my condition. I also realized that I would likely be killed in the process of trying to seek their help, but figured that if they didn't kill me, the partially vampire baby inside me would.

I successfully made my way to Italy and was able to located them to explain my situation. They had never heard of anything similar to my situation and immediately wrote it off as unacceptable. I was nearly killed before they discovered that my mind wasn't susceptible to their powers. This greatly intrigued at least one of their leaders, Aro, who decided that my life would be spared, at least for the time being, so he may learn more about my mental abilities and the unborn child that I was carrying.

For the next month, I was kept under close watch, but was never treated poorly, much to my surprise based off of my first impression of the clan. They made sure that I was healthy and supplied me with blood which made the sickness I was feeling go away. I became quite fond of the Volturi, despite the fact that I knew that they were not vegetarians like _they_ were, and surprisingly, they became quite fond of me. A month later, I had my little bundle of joy and Aro decided to change me.

As it turned out, I was blessed with the ability to shield my own thoughts as well as others of my choosing, and my daughter was granted the ability to show her thoughts through touch (as well as the unofficial ability to make everyone she met adore her). We were accepted with open arms into the Volturi, and Aro even decided to take me under his wing, often referring to me as his daughter. I was still heartbroken by the absence of my love, but I was thankful to have a new family and precious baby girl.

 **Author's Note:**

 **This is my first story on my new account, so first and foremost thank you so much for reading! Secondly, I would like to confirm that this is a Bella/Edward, Nessie/Cullens story, which may be confusing for now, but I promise you will see what I mean later on if you choose to keep reading. Lastly, I would LOVE to hear what you thought about it so far, so please take a few seconds to leave a review. It would be great to have 3 reviews by the time I post the next chapter. I am so excited for this story and I hope you are too! I will try to update this very soon. Until next time, Taylor.**


	2. Hidden Desire

**Bella's POV-**

The past hundred years have thankfully gone much better than I ever could have anticipated. Every day was still hard looking at my beautiful daughter, Renesmee, who in many ways reminded me so much of her father, but I learned to mask the pain that still lingered for her sake. Renesmee was everything that anyone could ever wish for in a daughter, and I'm not just saying that because she is mine. She was kind, intelligent, funny, and had a bigger heart than anyone I had ever come across.

For the first year of her life, I was still adjusting to the whole "recently dumped vampire single mom" thing, and unfortunately, Renesmee had to experience all of the sadness and fear that the first year brought. After the first year, things got easier. I realized that my situation wouldn't be changing in the near future and dedicated myself to being the best mother that I could possibly be. That was the best decision I could have made. Renesmee loved me unconditionally, and for the past hundred years, that's been more than enough.

As I mentioned before, everyone loved her. I remember smiling to myself when two of the most "dangerous" and valued members of the guard, Jane and Alec, would fight with each other over who got to read Renesmee's bedtime story to her when I was occasionally off hunting at night. Aro was originally skeptical of the possible threat that Renesmee would pose later to the Volturi clan, but within a month after her "delivery" she had Aro, as well as pretty much everyone else, wrapped around her little finger.

Renesmee was the light of my life, one of the only things that I felt made my life worth living. My only regret is exposing her to all of the pain she saw me going through in her first year. Despite the fact that she was so young, with how quickly she aged and her vast amount of intelligence that I mentioned, she was very receptive to the emotions I shared. Because of this, she always made sure that she did everything in her power to make sure that I was happy and safe. It has been almost a hundred years that she has been on this Earth and she still strives to make sure that I am okay.

The last thing that I feel is essential to understand about my daughter would be that since she was very young, she has always had this everlasting curiosity about the rest of her family. The one that left me that fateful day a hundred years ago. I never told her the truth about how the situation went down. As much as I was still upset with _his_ actions, I never wanted her to lose the sparkle of hope that gleamed in her eyes every time someone would mention him or his family, not that it came up often.

I told her that I was the one who had ended the relationship because I didn't want to keep putting her father and his family in danger as they tried to protect me. I'm sure she could have questioned me later about why I didn't try to find them now that I was a vampire, but thankfully she didn't.

—-

 **Renesmee's POV-**

How do I go about doing this? I know if I told my mother she would never approve. I love my mother so dearly, but I will never understand why she's never allowed me to meet my father, or even let him know that I exist. I always figured that one day she would make the arrangements, but with each year that passed I knew that the possibility became even less likely. It has almost been a hundred years that I have been alive. I figured that by now, I would have at least been introduced to the other part of my family.

I've never really asked my mom too much about them because I know it is such a sensitive topic for her. I remember vividly how heartbroken she was by her decision for the first year after I had been born. Even since then, I see how she tries to be brave for me despite the fact that I am no longer a baby. I wish she would just give in to her desires and find them! I can see how much she misses them, and I can't imagine that my family doesn't miss her as well. How could they not?

Let me begin by saying that my mother is perfect. She sacrificed everything for me. I tell her everyday how thankful I am to have her. She dismisses my gratitude and says that her life had no meaning anyway before I was introduced, but surely she is mistaken. I would do anything to make her happy and proud. For that reason, I could never build up the courage to ask her for her permission to meet the rest of my family.

I've pictured it a thousand times in my head, and each time it ended with her reverting back to her previous stage of being heartbroken all the time and with a broken relationship between myself and my mother. I know I am probably being crazy, but that's just part of being stuck in the mind of a teenager for eternity.

So now here I am staring at my ceiling fan trying to figure out what to do about my situation. I feel like I deserve to at least meet the other person who's genes I will be carrying for the rest of forever, but I don't want to put my mom in a situation like that if she isn't ready to see them again. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice the knocking at my door.

"Renesmee, sweetie, are you still in there? I haven't seen you all day." I heard my mother's soothing voice and broke away from my thoughts. I sat up on my bed and spoke back to her.

"Yeah, I'm in here. You can come in if you want." And with that, she quietly entered the room and took a seat beside me on my bed. We just sat there in silence for a few seconds before she turned to me and spoke again.

"Do you want to share with me why you've been so upset lately?" She asked. I didn't notice that my frustration over my internal conflict had shown through. I could take this as an opportunity to tell her how I feel, but I knew I didn't have the heart.

"It's nothing that you need to worry about, Mom. I'm almost a hundred years old. I'm sure I can figure everything out on my own." I responded in a serious, but still respectful way. She looked at me sympathetically, taking my hands in her own.

"Aww, honey. Is that what this is about? You're worried about turning a hundred?" She asked. I nodded, figuring that it was easier just to go along with this rather than telling her the real problem. She pulled me into a hug. "Ness, honey, it's just a number. I remember feeling the same things you are eighteen years ago and after talking with the rest of the family…" By family she means our family in Volterra. "…I discovered that this is only the beginning compared to the other hundreds and thousands of years we will spend together. Someday you will look back and laugh at turning a hundred!" She gave me a gentle smile. I looked down at my hands and a piece of hair fell into my face. Mom took and tucked in behind my ear before whispering to me. "You'll always be my baby girl whether you are a minute or a century old. Don't dwell on the little things like a stupid number. Just be the happy Renesmee that I, along with everyone else, adores and loves" I smiled and hugged her.

"I love you" I told her. She kissed my forehead and left the room. Again I was alone, and began dreaming about what the other part of my family was like. I found myself growing sad again and left to go find Aro. I liked spending time with Aro. He was like my unofficial grandfather. Most of the information that I had discovered about my family had come from him. He had shared with me that my Grandfather Carlisle had once lived with him a long time ago. He said they were great friends once, but he hasn't spoken or seen him since years before I was born.

I found him in his office reading a book on some ancient language. When he saw me walk in, he immediately closed his book and greeted me.

"My darling Renesmee, you look distressed." He said. I chuckled slightly and closed the door behind me.

"Or so I've been told." I replied. I walked over and sat in once of the large chairs he had positioned in front of his desk. He leaned forward and offered me his hand. I smiled and took it, sharing with him my thoughts on my family and how worried I was about my mother's reaction. After I was finished, he looked at me sympathetically.

"This is really bothering you that much, Renesmee?" He asked. I nodded and listened to make sure my mom was not near before proceeding to speak.

"I just want to meet them. I don't even care if they know who I am." I explained. He took a deep breath and looked at me again.

"And you're sure about this?" He asked again. I closed my eyes.

"No. I'm not. That's the problem. I really want to meet them, but I don't know if my mom is ready to see them again. I don't want her to feel like I'm forcing her to see them again." I told him. Aro looked like he was deep in thought.

"If I told you that I could find a way for you to meet them without you're mother being present, how would you feel?" He asked me. I was surprised. Normally, I would never go behind my mother's back for any reason whatsoever. This was not a normal circumstance, however.

"Go on…"

 **Author's Note:**

 **Thank you to everyone who favorited and followed my story! You are amazing and it just makes me excited to keep writing knowing I'll have people reading.**

 **Same to those who reviewed. Thank you so much! I survive on reviews. I love hearing what you guys have to say whether that would be what you like, what you don't like, you're predictions, your suggestions (that I will highly take into consideration), etc.**

 **This chapter gave a little more background on Renesmee's upbringing and her struggle with trying to please her mother and trying to establish a relationship with the Cullens, so it may not have been action packed, but it's still important and I hope you enjoyed it.**

 **Take the poll on my profile. It's about how the Cullens and Renesmee will interact when they meet.**

 **The last thing I ask is that you please review! I LOVE reading your reviews and I hope to have 7 before the next chapter *crossing fingers*! Until next time, Taylor.**


	3. Secret Agenda

**Bella's POV-**

It hurt to see Renesmee so worried about her birthday. I can't say that I wasn't a little upset too about my hundredth birthday, but in my opinion, it wasn't nearly as bad. I wish I could do something to cheer her up, but I have a feeling that no gift will make her feel any better. Regardless, I was going to try to find something.

I walked down the endlessly long hallway to Jane's room. I walked in without knocking and found Jane doing her makeup at her vanity. I collapsed onto her bed, letting out a heavy sigh. She smiled and turned around to look at me.

"What's the problem, Bella?" She asked, standing up and taking a seat next to me.

"It's Renesmee." I admitted. She looked as worried as I did. She knew as well as I did that Renesmee was a generally happy person. She raised one of her eyebrows as if to tell me to continue. "She's really upset about her birthday, and I don't know how to help her." I laid my head on her shoulder.

"Bella, everyone gets a little upset on their big birthday's. You were upset too eighteen years ago. It's normal, and she will be fine." She told me. I sighed heavily again. "Stop that! Everything will work itself out, Bells. I promise. You're a good mom, but you can't fix everything. Only time will help this one." She told me. Over the years, Jane has become my best friend. I was thankful to have someone as great as her to get me through tough times like this. I took my head off of her shoulder and looked at her.

"I guess you're right." She smiled triumphantly. "…But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying. Maybe if I get her a really awesome gift she will feel better." I said. Jane rolled her eyes.

"Do what you need to do, B." I smiled and we started talking about a different topic. After a few minutes, there was a knock at the door. I opened it so that Jane could go back to doing her makeup. It was Felix.

"You're presence is requested in the throne room. Aro wants to speak with everyone." Felix told us. He quickly walked away and Jane and I looked at eachother, wondering what could be going on. We began heading toward the throne room promptly and saw that everyone else was already there when we arrived.

"Now that everyone is here, we can begin." Aro said, quickly glancing at Renesmee. "I have a very important announcement, and I hope that everyone will be supportive." A look of anticipated frustration washed over my face. I can only imagine what he was going to say. I looked at Renesmee and saw that she was smiling. I immediately became more interested in what he was about to say.

"In honor of our dear Renesmee's birthday, we will be holding a grand ball in one week's time." I could feel my face fall. A ball? Really? If I didn't deliver Renesmee myself, I would swear that she is Alice's daughter and not mine. "Over the next week, we will be inviting several of the various clans that we know so that Renesmee may broaden her horizons in respect to our supernatural world." Renesmee looked over at my face, so I faked a smile.

"There is also another announcement that I would like to make." Aro stopped for a second and looked at me. "We have reason to believe that there may be another human-vampire hybrid somewhere in the northwestern region of South America." I thought my cold, dead heart was going to start beating again. There are more hybrids? There is so much I could learn. "We would like to send a group to investigate further. Are there any volunteers?" Aro asked. Immediately, my hand shot up. Aro nodded at me.

"Thank you, Bella. Anyone else?" Aro asked again. Felix, Demetri, and several others volunteered. "Wonderful, you all leave the day following tomorrow and if all goes well, you will return ten days from now." A wave of disappointment hit me. Aro dismissed everyone and I walked toward where he and Renesmee stood.

"Aro, I'm not sure if I can go." I told him, and looked over at Renesmee. "Next week is Renesmee's birthday and…" Renesmee cut me off.

"Mom, don't worry about me." She looked at me and smiled. "I can tell you really want to go." She held my hand.

"Ness, I don't know. I would hate to miss you're birthday." I told her. She raised her eyebrows.

"So you'd rather go to a ball than to find out more information about the possibility of other hybrids?" She asked. She got me and I chuckled. "Mom, we can celebrate after you get home." I was still unsure.

"Are you sure, Renesmee? I would miss your whole birth week." She rolled her eyes and smiled at me. "I just want you to be happy." I told her.

"Seeing you happy makes me happy, Mom. So with that being said, I think you should go." I smiled, feeling relived. She gave me a big hug.

"Thank you." I kissed her head.

 **Nessie's POV-**

She kissed my forehead and my heart started racing. I did it. I successfully lied to my mother—Okay, well it wasn't completely a lie. I just wasn't telling the whole truth. Aro knew that she wouldn't want to pass up an opportunity to learn as much as she could about people like me. The Volturi hadn't ever come across a hybrid before I was born, so my mother never knew what to expect while raising me.

About a week ago, Aro had received information about what seemed to be a hybrid in South America. He was going to wait until his suspicion was confirmed before he sent a group out, but he would do anything to make me happy. He had already spoken with the Cullens, who were set to arrive the morning after my mother left for South America. I had hoped that Jane would also accompany my mother, so we wouldn't have to worry about her snitching on us, but I'm sure it won't be too hard to make her see it my way.

I skipped back to my room, smiling and singing like you would see in a movie. I couldn't be happier. I jumped onto my bed, hugging my pillow and daydreaming about meeting my family.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Thanks so much for reading everyone! I want to let you know that this week is a little hectic, so I'm not sure when the next time I update will be. I'll try to update again soon, but it may not be until Saturday or Sunday (Sorry!).**

 **If I've said it once, I'll say it again. I love reading your reviews! Thank you to everyone who reviewed already, I've read them all and I appreciate it so much. If you don't know what to write a review on, here are some ideas! You could mention what you like, what you don't like, you're predictions, you're suggestions (I pretty much have a story line in mind, but I'm open to other ideas). I'm hoping to have 17 reviews by the next time I update *crossing fingers*.**

 **Lastly, go take the poll on my profile! It's about how Nessie and Edward will react to eachother. Until next time, Taylor.**


	4. The Send Off

Nessie's POV- 5 days before her birthday

I watched as my mom searched through her closet, with the help of Jane, trying to finish up her last minute packing for her trip. Over the past two days, I've grown increasingly nervous that my mom would see straight through me and back out of the trip. I know that she's noticed that I've been acting a little different lately but I'm pretty sure she's dismissed my behavior as anxiety over my hundredth birthday, which I could honestly care less about. Jane emerged from the closet carrying a pile of clothes in her arms. My mom followed right behind her.

"Janie, I'm sure all of that isn't necessary. I basically already have everything I need." She said. Jane put the clothes down on her bed, next to where I was sitting. My mom walked over and picked up a very pretty summer dress. "This, for example, why would I need this? I'm seeking out information about my daughter, not looking for a husband." She cracked a smile at Jane but I could tell that despite a century going by, she still missed my dad. Jane didn't notice.

"You never know, Bella. South America could be good for you." Jane said. "For the past century, you've been so focused on being a mom that you stopped living for yourself." She looked over at me. "No offense, Renesmee. You know I love you." I smiled and nodded. My mom bit her lip like she always does when she's feeling unsure.

"We'll see." She said. What? That's a first. Let me explain something about my mom. She doesn't talk about her love life…like ever. I started asking about my dad when I was five (but looked and acted like I was fifteen), but it wasn't until I was fourteen that she told me the story. My mom explained to me that when she was eighteen, my uncle tried to attack her at her birthday party. After that event, she realized that she was holding back my dad and his family and decided to leave them. That's pretty much all of the information I was told and I hadn't tried to find out much more than that.

"Renesmee" I guess I had become lost in my thoughts because the next thing I knew, my mom was snapping her fingers in my face and calling my name.

"Sorry, I was daydreaming. Did you say something?" She smiled at me and ran her hand over my hair.

"I asked if you were ready to go." I stood up from the bed and followed behind Jane as she exited the room. We all went into the throne room and everyone said their goodbyes to my mom, Felix, Demetri, and the other members of the guard that were leaving for the trip. I, along with a few others such as Jane and Alec accompanied everyone to the airport. My mom and I sat in silence while we waited for the announcement saying she could board her flight. It wasn't awkward or anything. I just think that we were both wrapped up in our thoughts, which isn't uncommon. It wasn't until the announcement came on that she began speaking to me.

"So I guess this is it." She said looking at me with sadness in her eyes. I smiled.

"I guess so." I responded, still nervous that she would see through my act.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" She asked for the millionth time. "I really feel bad for missing your birthday."

"Moooom. Stop. I will be fine! It's only ten days and we can celebrate my birthday when you get back." I told her. She leaned in and gave me a hug.

"I love you to the moon and back, Renesmee." I sighed and laid my head on her shoulder.

"Love you too, Mama. Have fun on your trip." And just like that she turned and boarded her plane.

We arrived back in Volterra about thirty minutes later. I walked into the throne room and saw Aro gesturing for me to follow him. He led me to his office where he told me that the Cullens would be arriving the next morning. I suddenly grew nervous. He told me that he had justified it to Marcus and Caius by saying that he was eager to reunite with his old friend, Carlisle, which they were pleased with. From there he told me that he would leave it up to me to think of things that I would like to do with the Cullens and sent me on my way.

I hadn't really put much thought into what we would actually do. I don't even know them, and I didn't know what they liked. I figured I would just wing it.

 **A/N:**

 **I really didn't anticipate this being a hard chapter to write, but I got writers block, so I'm sorry it took so long!**

 **I also wanted to address Bella's little wite lie. I don't know if anybody picked up on it, but there is a reason that I made it so that Nessie thinks that Bella left the Cullens instead of the other way around.**

 **I realize the end was really quick and choppy, but I just wanted to get the chapter finished so I could move on.**

 **Hope you enjoyed it! Please review. (Like, dislike, suggestion, etc.)**

 **-Taylor**


	5. Suspicion

Nessie's POV- The next day

I groaned as the sunlight began to shine through my window. I looked over at my digital alarm clock sitting on my bedside table—6:07 it read. For seven hours I had been laying here trying to sleep. Seven entire hours spent thinking of all of the best and worst possibilities that today could bring.

I pictured each of them based on what little information I already knew and tried to imagine how they would be when they got here. As mentioned before, I had found out small bits of information from Aro over the years, but I still didn't have a very good idea of who exactly these people were. Going along with this, Aro hadn't seen or spoken much to the Cullens in over a hundred years which was more than enough time to change drastically.

I sorted through the information that I was certain of. I knew their names. There was seven in all. Carlisle and his wife, Esme, were for all intents and purposes the heads of the clan. They were the parental figures for the others. The others were comprised of Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, and my father, Edward Cullen. I've been told multiple times that my personality and love for all things related to fashion resembles that of my Aunt Alice. I've also been told that my sense of humor and desire to protect my family resembles that of my Uncle Emmett. Other than that, I only know very broad details about the rest of my family.

Apparently, my grandfather, Carlisle, is incredibly smart and compassionate, as is my grandmother Esme who is supposedly has heart of gold. My Uncle Jasper is immensely gifted in the field of battle and has the gift of sensing and manipulating peoples' emotions. As for my Aunt Rosalie, she is apparently beyond blessed in the beauty department, and is witty beyond belief.

Surprisingly, my father is the one I happen to know the least about. The most significant piece of information I know is that he is a mind-reader, which may end up being a problem. Over the years, my mother has been able to develop her shield to a point where she doesn't have to be focused on me in order for her shield to protect my mind. However, I don't know how strong her shield will be while she is thousands of miles away. I guess we will just have to wait and find out.

I looked over at my alarm clock again. This time it read 6:10. I could feel that my eyes were incredibly tired, but I rolled out of bed anyway. If I couldn't sleep for the past seven hours, I doubt I'll be able to now. Maybe a shower will be able to wake me up a little.

I spent the next thirty minutes showering and figuring out what to do with my hair, all the while becoming more anxious with each minute that passed. Aro said that the Cullens would be arriving this morning, which I assume to most likely be around nine or ten.

I tried to distract myself by fully immersing myself in trying to find the perfect outfit to meet my family in. I didn't want it to be too casual, but I didn't want to be overbearing in my choice of outfit.

I decided on a medium-length flowy white dress with tan wedges and a few bracelets. I feel like it falls right in the middle of casual and formal, which was what I was looking for. I quickly got dressed in my outfit, looking myself up and down in my full length mirror beside my closet.

My hair wasn't quite dry yet, but it was beginning to curl into my naturally, textured bronze ringlets. I remember being little and hating my obnoxiously curly hair. Thankfully now the ringlets in my hair weren't as tight as had been when I was little. Now, they were more loose and spread out, just like I liked them.

I took another look at my alarm clock and was pleased to see the leading digit was no longer a dreadful 6. I grabbed my phone from my charger and made my way into the kitchen for breakfast. I checked my phone, seeing that I had several notifications, including one from my mother.

 **Hello my beautiful girl. I hope you slept well. We just landed in Rio de Janeiro. Just wanted to check in and make sure everything's alright back home. I miss you already! Call me when you wake up. -Mama**

I smiled and texted her back.

 **As much as I wish I weren't, I am up. Is now a good time to call?**

I set my phone on the unnecessarily large kitchen table and walked into the pantry to find something to eat. I've found that while I enjoy blood much more than human food, I still need to eat it in order to get a handful of vitamins and minerals. Bleh. I picked up a box of pancake batter and walked back into the kitchen just as Jane was walking in.

"Good morning, Renesmee. Did you sleep well?" She asked. I shook my head.

"Not really. I guess I was a little too eager for today to come." I told her, yawning. Immediately I regretted my words, realizing what I just confessed to. I set the pancake batter on the counter and turned on the stove, hoping Jane didn't notice my choice of words. I looked at her. She had an inquisitive look on her face. She definitely did.

"And what exactly do you have planned for today?" I walked over to the sink and began making my pancake mix. I shrugged.

"Nothing in particular." I told her. I avoided looking at her, but I could feel her investigating eyes on my neck. She sat down at the table and I internally groaned, wishing she would just let the matter go. She'd find out soon enough. The last thing I need is for her to find out before my family even gets here and goes to rat me out to my mom.

"It doesn't sound like nothing in particular." I let out a deep breath and continued making my pancakes.

"It's another day closer to my birthday. I assume there's some sort of interesting activity planned for me today." I told her. That could be plausible. My family likes to go above and beyond with my birthdays. I guess that's kind of obvious considering it's completely believable that my family would throw a ball just for me. I looked at her face. I wasn't sure if she believed me. She didn't say anything and I finished making my pancakes.

I brought them over to the table and immediately began eating. I hoped that by doing so, she'd avoid trying to continue the conversation. Unfortunately, my little plan didn't work.

"I think that you're up to something." She said bluntly. I finished chewing my pancake and looked at her. She had her arms crossed and she was grinning at me.

"Why would you say that?" I asked innocently, trying to hide the fact that I was mortified that she had caught me in my lie.

"For now it's just a hunch, but don't think I haven't noticed that you've been acting a little strange lately." She told me. I looked down at my pancake, not hungry any longer. "…And now your heart is racing which makes me think I may be on to something." I wasn't sure what to say. She was looking at me with a knowing look. I was about to respond when I heard my phone buzzing a few inches from my hand. I looked at the caller ID—Mom.

"We'll have to discuss your little theory later." I pointed to my phone. "It's my mom". I picked up my phone and carried my plate over to the sink. Following that, I quickly answered before my mom was sent to voicemail. "Hey, Mama" I said.

"Good morning, Beautiful. It's so good to hear your voice. I miss you so much already." She told me. I smiled and rolled my eyes.

"Miss you too, Mom. How was your flight?" I asked. I looked over at Jane and she was giving me a look. She was still thinking about what I was up to.

"It was alright, I guess. I've never really been a fan of flying, but at least I know that if the plane crashes, I'll still be okay." I chuckled at her paranoid attitude. "By the way, you wouldn't believe how incredible Rio is. We just took the helicopter over the area, and if it weren't so sunny, I'm telling you—I'd be looking for a realtor. Okay, not really, but I would love to come back to explore more." I smiled. I could picture my mom's enthusiastic look on her face as she was talking to me. "Enough about me. How'd you sleep? Do you have anything planned for today?" I could see that Jane was listening into the phone call and was just as eager to hear about the second part of my mother's questions. I began answering my mother's questions when Jane was called into the throne room by Aro. I'm not sure what it was, but she looked as if it were something bad as she had a slightly sad look on her face when she left. Maybe she just wanted to hear me talk to my mother.

"Well since you ask, I didn't sleep that well last night. I'm not sure why." Or maybe I do. "And I don't know what everyone has planned for me today. Hopefully something fun." So that response was pretty generic, but I didn't feel like elaborating.

"It's too bad you didn't sleep well. And I'm sure they have something great planned! They always do. Hopefully you're not too tired for whatever that ends up being" She replied.

"It'll be fine. I'm sure that once the madness begins, I'll wake up a little. I'll probably go to bed early tonight, so if you call later on and I don't answer, that'll be why." I could hear small bits of conversation in the throne room which was adjacent to the kitchen, but I tried to ignore it and focus on my mom.

"Do you think that if I called around nine you'd still be up? I'm not sure that I'll be able to call before then." I could hear the sadness in her voice. Normally I went to bed around eleven, so if I got to bed at like nine-thirty, that would still be early.

"Oh, I suppose I could spare a minute or two." I joked. She laughed. I began walking toward the throne room when I heard everyone talking about the princess— aka me.

"Sounds great! I'll call at nine. Make sure you have your phone on you in case something comes up. I love you!" She told me. I walked through the gigantic doors that led into the throne room and stopped in my tracks at what I saw. It was them—The Cullens. They were standing talking to Aro across the room. It was only a little past seven. I thought they'd be here much later. Not that I'm complaining. I stood still, silently studying each of them.

I was pretty sure that the blonde man in the front, the one actually speaking to Aro, was Carlisle Cullen. I was surprised at how youthful he looked. He looked to be in his mid-twenties. I assumed that the woman standing by his side, looking at him adoringly was Esme Cullen. She had a gentle face and kind eyes based off of what I could see. The next one I looked to was tall and muscular. This had to be Emmett Cullen. He had his arm wrapped around an extremely beautiful blonde—Rosalie Hale I assume. She looked a little sour, unlike what I had imagined. Next to them were a petite brunette and a tall curly-haired blonde man. These were most likely Alice Cullen and Jasper Hale. My heart began racing as my eyes fell on the last man standing with them. He was tall, almost as tall as Emmett, and lean. His hair was unruly, and the same bronze color as mine. He had his hands in his pockets and was staring at the floor looking very sad.

"Hello? Renesmee, are you still there?" I heard my mom say through the phone. I saw as everybody in the room turned their heads to look at me.

"Yeah, sorry. I gotta go. I love you too. Talk to you tonight." I said quickly and hung up the phone. My eyes locked with Aro's and he gave me a wide smile.

"Why there she is now. Come, Renesmee, I'd like you to meet the Cullens" I took a deep breath and walked forward.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Ahhh! So Renesmee finally sees the Cullens!**

 **Sorry it took forever to update. Senior year has not been kind to me so far. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'll hopefully be working to update more while I have this week off from school.**

 **You're reviews have been so amazing so far. They honestly make me so excited to write every time I read them. With that being said, please take a few seconds to review. It makes everything worthwhile for me. Feel free to make any suggestions or give me your thoughts. I would love to have 40 reviews before I update next.**

 **Also, LAST CHANCE to tell me your thoughts on how you think Edward should react to Renesmee. There is a poll on my profile with the possible answers.**

 **Until next time, Taylor**


	6. Introductions

**Renesmee's POV-**

"Why there she is now. Come, Renesmee, I'd like you to meet the Cullens" I took a deep breath and walked forward. I could feel their eyes on me as I nervously made my way to Aro's side. Aro gave me a reassuring smile and turned to the Cullens again. "My friends, this-" He motioned his hands toward me "-is my granddaughter, Renesmee." I gave him an appreciative look. It made me feel better that he introduced me as his granddaughter. "It is for Renesmee that we are throwing the ball later this week— in honor of her hundredth birthday on Sunday." I nodded, not really sure what to say. I've pictured this moment so many times, but now that it's here I am extremely nervous. Carlisle was the first to address me.

"It's great to finally meet you, Renesmee. We have heard so much about you." He shook my hand and gave me a warm, sincere smile. I couldn't help but smile back at him. "My name is Carlisle Cullen and this is my family." He motioned his arms to the rest of his family, standing behind him. I was in awe. There seemed to be some sort of unspoken admiration among everyone in the family. You could tell just by looking at them that they loved each other dearly. Immediately, the petite, brunette girl came gliding toward me, outstretching her hand.

"I'm Alice. I'm so glad to meet you. I can't wait for your ball! I know that it will be fantastic, and we will be great friends!" She told me, very quickly. My heard seemed to skip a beat. I had so many thoughts running through my head. A few times I had heard my mother mumble under her breath that I was a "mini-Alice", mostly when I had been fed too much sugar by my relatives or when I bored my mother with my fashion advice. I laughed at Alice's enthusiastic attitude and eagerly shook her hand.

"I'm so glad to meet you, Alice. I'm so glad that someone other than myself is excited for the ball." I joked and gave Aro a look, causing him to smile a bit. I watched as Alice skipped backward a bit and dragged the blonde male she had been standing with earlier forward, toward me.

"This is my husband, Jasper. He's not exactly social." He looked at her, pretending to be insulted and then looked at me.

"In my defense, I don't ever have the chance to get a word in with this one." He looked toward Alice, lovingly. I smiled at his joke.

"It's very nice to meet you, Jasper." I told him and he bowed his head toward me.

Next were Emmett and Rosalie. From what I could tell they were a wonderful pair. Right off the bat, I could tell that Emmett was very funny, but highly inappropriate. Rosalie balanced him out though with her sophisticated manner and her ability to put Emmett in his place. I imagined what my life would be like with them in it. I could see Emmett being my partner in crime, and Rosalie being my loyal confidant. It made me a little sad thinking that the situation probably wouldn't become a reality.

Following the dynamic duo was Esme. She introduced herself as Carlisle's wife and the mother figure of the family. The whole time she was speaking, I wanted to hug her. She was so incredibly sweet in her demeanor and I could tell by the looks of the rest of the family that she was absolutely adored. I could feel myself becoming progressively nervous when I realized who was next. I looked up at my father. He was still staring at the floor with his hands in his pockets. I waited for him to say something for a few seconds but he didn't. I watched as Alice gave him a look, probably saying something to him through her thoughts. He looked in Alice's direction, seeming annoyed. I decided to say something first.

"So, I guess by process of elimination that you are Edward Cullen?" I asked, smiling optimistically. He looked at me, unamused.

"I guess so." He said sarcastically. The rest of the Cullens gave me a sympathetic look and Alice looked as if she could kill him.

"Can't you be respectful for two seconds?" She asked him. He raised his eyebrows at her and have a devilish smirk.

"My apologies. It's an _honor_ to meet you Renesmee." He said sarcastically once again, this time bowing dramatically in my direction. Everyone was either looking at me apologetically or shooting daggers at my father. I didn't know what to do. One part of me wanted to cry and another part wanted to reciprocate his rude antics with a curtsy and sassy comeback. I decided on the latter, but before I could do anything Carlisle asked me aquestion, successfully diffusing the tense atmosphere.

"So, Renesmee, if you don't mind me asking—How is it that you have a heartbeat? And your eyes, they aren't like the rest of your…family's." He half smiled. "I find it incredibly intriguing." He admitted. I smiled at him, trying to shake off the little situation with my father. I looked toward Aro, making sure that it was okay that I share this personal information with them. Aro gave me a nod of approval and I turned to the Cullens.

"I'm glad you asked, Carlisle. Both of those characteristics derive from my mother. She was human when I was born." I smiled, thinking about my mother and all that she sacrificed for me. I looked at Carlisle, whose shocked and confused expression mirrored that of the rest of his family.

"I can't say that I understand what you're saying." He told me honestly. I nodded, trying to figure out what to say.

"I mean that I was born like this. I'm half-human and half-vampire, so I inherited some characteristics from both sides." I could see that they were all confused. "…Like I can run pretty much as fast as any other vampire…and I'm strong. Maybe not as much as a typical vampire, but still significantly more than a human…and I can sustain myself on blood—at least for a little bit. It's good to eat human food too." I told them. Carlisle looked amazed.

"How…" I watched as he thought about what to say. "How could that happen?" He asked. I raised an eyebrow at him. "—Well I mean, I understand _how_ that could happen, but…" He was at a loss for words. "I never knew that was possible." I smiled at him. "That's incredible." He admitted.

"I'm sure Renesmee would be willing to discuss it more with you later." Aro told him, looking at me for confirmation.

"Yeah, of course." I told him. Aro smiled and clasped his hands together.

"Wonderful. Maybe now, I could speak with Carlisle and Esme while Renesmee shows the rest of you your rooms?" Aro suggested. Carlisle nodded at the rest of his family and I took a deep breath. I could see my father out of the corner of my eye. I could tell that he was not happy at all.

"Right this way." I turned and headed toward the east wing of the castle. That's where most of the bedrooms were located. The west wing also had some bedrooms but most of the rooms were for training or entertainment. The north wing was where Aro's office and our library was located. The South wing was basically occupied by the throne room, which doubled as our ballroom. It sounds worse than it really is. All of the wings were connected by hallways and despite being divided into the four separate wings, everything was pretty open. All four of the wings surrounded a center area that we call the base. There you could find the kitchen, the pool room, and a fairly large open area occupied by couches, TVs, and a set of stairs that lead to the atrium upstairs.

I led them into the east wing and explained the basics of it. The center was open and diverged into two halls. All of their rooms were located in the left hall. I led them in the direction. After a few seconds, we reached the first set of double doors. I opened them and I walked in.

"This is Alice and Jasper's room. I hope you'll appreciate the massive closet through that first set of doors." Alice smiled widely, jumping up and down. I laughed and then walked out, everyone else following me.

"Next, we have Rosalie and Emmett's room." I went to open the door, but Emmett beat me to it, walking in and collapsing on the bed.

"Ooh, this will be just fine. Come see, Rosie." She rolled her eyes and I quickly shut the door, not wanting to see anything else. That left just my father and I. I cursed myself as I could feel my heart start to race. I heard him chuckle.

"Do I make you nervous, Princess?" He questioned. I kept walking, making my way to his room. Fine. He wants to play that game? I can play too.

"Wow. It's almost as if you read my mind." I told him, pretending to be astonished. His smirk that had once been plastered across his face disappeared, probably catching on to where I was going with this. "…But you can't, can you?" I asked, rhetorically. He looked at me with an annoyed face. "Wow, I bet that really pisses you off, doesn't it?" I opened the door to his room and he gave me an unamused look before walking in and closing the door behind him. I smiled. I guess sass runs in the family.

* * *

 **Edward's POV-**

"Hello? Renesmee, are you still there?" I heard a quiet, beautiful bell-like voice say. I and the rest of my family immediately turned in the direction that it came from. Across the room, I saw a petite girl, standing about 5 feet 4 inches tall looking at us fearfully. She had long, bronze hair that fell in loose ringlets, and she was outstandingly beautiful. Most astoundingly, this girl had large brown eyes and a faint blush across her cheeks. She reminded me very much of my lost love, Bella. I could hear that my family thought so too.

 _She has a heartbeat and brown eyes. Is that possible?_ -Carlisle

 _She…looks like Bella. Oh no, I hope Edward's not listening. -_ Rosalie

 _Wow, she's beautiful. I love her outfit._ -Alice

 _This must be the princess. I can't wait to meet her._ -Esme.

 _She is nervous and scared. I can feel it._ -Jasper

 _Her eyes remind me of Bella-Boo._ -Emmett

All of a sudden it hit me. I couldn't hear her thoughts…at all. It's wasn't like when my family tried to hide their thoughts by thinking of different topics. It was like silence—absolute silence. The only other person that I've come across that I couldn't read was Bella. I grew frustrated at this revelation.

"Yeah, sorry. I gotta go. I love you too. Talk to you tonight." She spoke. Her voice was gentle and kind. It was like music to my ears. I was still highly annoyed though. I watched as she hung up her phone and Aro said something to her about coming to meet us.

I zoned out while she was being introduced to everyone. I gathered that her name was Renesmee and she was 'Very honored to meet us' as she repeated several times. She seemed nice, but it made me extremely uncomfortable to know that I have no idea what she is thinking. I wasn't paying much attention, but I snapped out of my daze when I heard her speak to me.

"So, I guess by process of elimination that you are Edward Cullen?" I looked at her. She had a cheery, happy smile on her face. I didn't buy it, and her cheeriness made me want to leave.

"I suppose so." I told her sarcastically. She looked as if I may have hurt her feelings. I felt a little bad, but I quickly recovered.

 _Come on, man. That's unnecessary._ -Emmett

"Can't you be respectful for two seconds?" I heard Alice say, probably toward me. I raised an eyebrow at her and smirked. I was not in the mood for any of this. I wouldn't have come to Italy if my family didn't make me. I glanced toward Renesmee once again.

"My apologies. It's an _honor_ to meet you Renesmee." I said, once again being sarcastic. By now, she looked almost angry. I could tell she wasn't as sweet as she was trying to make everyone believe. If I could only read her mind…

I heard Carlisle try to diffuse the tension by posing a question, but by that time, I had stopped listening. Everything about this situation was horrible. I never wanted to come to Volterra, and if it weren't for this pointless ball, I wouldn't have had to. I thought back to the last time that I had gone dancing. It was prom—with my beautiful angel, Bella. I missed her so dearly. I left for her safety. I loved her too much to put her in such dangerous scenarios any longer. I was an idiot to leave her. I tried going back a month after I left to check up on her, but by that time, she was gone.

I tried reading people's thoughts—Charlie's, Mike's, Jessica's, Angela's—but nothing came up. All that was known was that she disappeared. Nobody knew what happened to her. I was frantic. I asked Alice to look into Bella's future, but she couldn't see her any longer. I looked for Bella on my own. I spent a year searching for her. I tracked down Victoria, whom I assumed may have had a role in her disappearance. She had found a new mate, Riley, at least that is what she had been telling him. I discovered that she had been using him to build an army of newborns to take down my family.

That was taken care of relatively easily. Riley escaped, but Victoria and her puny army were eradicated. I never was able to find out what happened to Bella.

It was scary how much Renesmee reminded me of Bella, which made me dislike her even more. I couldn't read her mind. She has the same chocolate brown, large, doe eyes that Bella had. She has a heartbeat and can blush. She even resembled Bella! I wished that I could leave right there and then. I could tell that this would be a long trip, and I was already counting down the days until we left.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I hope you liked this chapter. A good majority of you voted that you would like Edward to be rude to Renesmee because she reminds him of Bella, so here you go!**

 **I might be making another poll (which will be on my profile) soon, so keep an eye out.**

 **Again, thank you to everyone who has favorited, alerted, and reviewed! You all are amazing and make me want to keep writing more.**

 **Please take a few seconds to review. I know it's a little inconvenient, but I'd like to know what you all think so I know if I'm on the right track, or if there is anything you think I should add or change. Any feedback is appreciated!**

 **Until next time, Taylor**


	7. Apologies and Agreements

**Alice's POV-**

It's been about half an hour since Renesmee showed my family our way to our rooms. I've spent the time investigating the closet and unpacking for both Jasper and I. Meanwhile, Jasper has been sitting on the bed, silently staring at the wall. He's never been much of a talker, but he wasn't typically this quiet. I closed the double doors to the closet and took a seat next to my love. He turned his head to look at me and gave me a sweet smile. I ran my fingers through his wavy blonde hair.

"What's wrong, Jazz?" I asked him, knowingly. He wrapped his arm around my waist and an inquisitive look crossed his face.

"I'm not even sure." He told me. I was confused at this point. "Does something about Renesmee seem a little off to you?" He asked. I smiled, knowing he didn't mean his question in the negative manner it came out as.

"I don't know. She seemed a little nervous, but I guess that's to be expected. I'm sure that she's come across vampires who aren't so accepting of her human side like we are." I told him. He still seemed unsatisfied.

"Maybe, but the whole time we were around her this morning, she was radiating waves of guilt and a little bit of sadness—exponentially so when she was introduced to Edward." Jasper admitted. I shook my head angrily. That jackass. I get being all moody at home. I'm sure I'd be a complete wreck forever too if I ever lost Jasper, but to disrespect this darling girl is just horrendous. I've known Renesmee for all of forty five minutes and I've already come to love her. She was so adorable! It infuriated me that Edward was being such a beast.

I stood up from my place with Jasper and began walking toward the door.

"Where are you going, Darlin'?" He asked me. I gave him a peck on the cheek and answered his question.

"I'm going to go see if I can find Renesmee. She deserves an explanation for Edward's childish behavior." I told him.

"Ali, I think that should be a story that Ed tells for himself." He told me, obviously trying not to offend me. I sighed. He had a point.

"Well, I won't tell her the specifics of what happened, but I do think she deserves to know that his anger isn't her fault." I said. I could see that Jasper still wasn't too on board with my plan, but I was still going anyway. I walked out the door and toward the end of the hall.

I don't recall Renesmee ever mentioning which room was hers, so I walked into the center area of the wing and tried listening for her heartbeat. It was extremely quiet, but I followed it to one of the rooms in the hall opposite where my family was staying. Easy enough, the room that she was in was labeled with an R, which I can only assume stood for her name.

I gave a slight knock and waited for her to answer. Inside her room, I could hear her shuffling around, running around the room before answering the door. I smiled to myself, wondering what she could possibly be doing.

* * *

 **Renesmee's POV-**

I can't lie. I was pretty disappointed to find out that my father, someone I idolized for so long, was actually a rude pig. I knew that I should probably just give up hope on the two of us ever getting along, but a part of me still hoped that he would change his ways. Who knows, we still have four days until the ball, after which they will be leaving. I laid back on my bed, thinking about some activities that I could do with my family.

I was interrupted in my thoughts by a knock at the door. That's weird. Normally, my family just walks in. Oh, shoot! It was probably one of the Cullens. I shot up from my bed, scurrying around the room to hide any evidence that Bella is my mother. I internally groaned. I had pictures of the two of us everywhere! I grabbed them all and threw them in my closet quickly before racing to the door. I opened it and was greeted by Alice's smiling face.

"Hey, Alice. What's up?" I asked, nonchalantly. She gave me a knowing smile, probably because she heard me running around my room like a mad woman.

"I was hoping that we could talk." She said. I suddenly grew nervous. What if she figured it out already? It would be no time before everyone else figured it out too! I sighed.

"Okay. Come on in." I stepped aside, allowing her to enter my room. She slowly entered, looking around my room in awe.

"Your room is beautiful. I love all the decorations." She turned to look at me, smiling.

"Thank you. So…uh, what was it that you wanted to talk about?" She took a seat on my bed and looked over at me.

"I actually wanted to apologize." She told me. I was surprised, but relieved that this wasn't a talk about my mother.

"What is there to apologize for?" I asked her. A pained look crossed her face.

"My brother." She told me and I bit my lip. "I can't really get into the specifics, but he made a mistake and he's never recovered from it." She told me. I wondered what that could be. Maybe he said something that he thinks caused my mother to leave. Maybe that mistake isn't even about me or my mom.

"I understand." I told her. She looked at me sympathetically.

"I just feel so awful that he was so rude to you. His anger is just misdirected, and I'm truly sorry that he took it out on you. We never wanted this to happen." She told me. I smiled. At least the rest of my family seems to like me.

"It's not your fault, Alice. I'm pretty sure he's also mad because he can't read my mind." I told her. Alice gave me a confused look that meant that she hadn't known that little detail.

"He can't?" She asked me. I shook my head. "Why?" She asked. I tried to think of a way to answer.

"I'm lucky enough to have a shield watching over me." I chuckled. Alice looked intrigued.

"Well you're lucky. If we want to hide something from Edward, we have to avoid thinking about it or think of something else." She was half smiling. "Hey, do you want to go shopping with Rose and I later today? We need to find something to wear to your ball." I couldn't contain my excitement, and I could feel a huge smile cross my face.

"That sounds great! I mean, I'll have to ask Aro, but I'm sure it will be fine!"

* * *

"Please tell me you're joking." I said. I could tell by his face that he wasn't. "Are you kidding me? If I have to bring Jane with me, she's going to make me miserable the whole time. I haven't even seen her since the Cullens got here this morning." I pleaded. Aro gave me a sympathetic look, but I could tell he wasn't changing his mind.

"Renesmee, my darling, Jane and Alec must go with you so that I know you are safe." He told me.

"But the Cullens can protect me!" I told him. He raised his eyebrows.

"Renesmee, you barely know them. I haven't even seen them since well before your birth. Who's to say that if they found out about you that they wouldn't run away with you?" I crossed my arms, incredibly annoyed.

"Aro, they wouldn't." I told him.

"You're probably right, but you are far too precious to be taking chances like that." He stroked my face with his icy cold hand, and I stared at the floor. "I'll let Alec know. Jane is in the kitchen." I sighed and made my way into the kitchen to talk to Jane.

She must have heard me coming because when I walked into the kitchen she was staring at me with her arms crossed. I gave her a guilty smile.

"Hey Janie." I said. She raised her eyebrows at me. I walked over to her, scratching the back of my neck. "So, Aro said that I can go to the mall with Rose and Alice if you come with me. Are you free?" She was still staring at me. She tilted her head and I braced myself.

"Tell me one good reason why I shouldn't call your mom right now and tell her what you've done." Yep. She was angry.

"Okay, I can see you're mad. Let me explain." I told her.

"What could there possibly be to explain, Renesmee?" She asked me. "Your mother is going to be pissed when she finds out." I bit my lip.

"All the more reason not to tell her." I said quietly. Jane scoffed.

"Who are you, and what have you done to Renesmee?" She asked me. I groaned.

"Jane, they're my family. I have a right to know them." I told her.

"Would your mother agree?" She said, pulling out her phone.

"Jane, please don't tell her! The only thing that will happen is that she'll come home early, not learn anything about the human vampire hybrid, she'll see them, and everything will be a mess." I told her. She stopped and looked at me. "Jane, please understand." I pleaded. She put the phone away.

"I can't believe that you would go behind your mother's back like this, Renesmee." She looked disappointed.

"I know you're not going to understand completely, but I just wanted to know the other side of why I am…who I am." I told her. I sat down at the table.

"You've never said anything about wanting to meet them before." She told me.

"That's because I knew Mom would be mad…and sad…and she'd say no." I told her. I could see Jane's barriers breaking down a little.

"You should've told her." She said.

"I couldn't! It would've killed her inside. I didn't want to force her to see them, so I told Aro and he…helped me." I admitted.

"Is there even a vampire-human hybrid in South America?" She asked.

"Yes." I said. Jane looked like she was thinking. "Please don't tell her, Jane." I pleaded again. She sighed to show her frustration.

"Okay." She said. I hopped out of my chair and hugged her.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" I said.

"Hold on!" She said. I stopped. I knew there would be a catch. "When she gets home, _you_ have to tell her." I froze.

"Jane…" I started.

"No. That's my offer. Take it or leave it. I'll be civil to them. I won't tell your mom. I'll forget about the whole thing…but you can't lie to her, Renesmee. She's your mother. She's given up everything for you, and she needs to know the truth." She had a point. I groaned, not even allowing myself to imagine what would happen when she found out.

"Fine." I said. Jane smiled at me.

"It'll be okay, Renesmee." I shook my head at her. "I'll go get ready now." She said before leaving the room. I walked into the living room, and immediately saw Rosalie.

"That sounded intense." She said. Oh, no. This is it. "Don't worry. I didn't hear much. Only that you're keeping a secret from your mother." She smiled devilishly, but I could tell she was only joking. By that time, most of the Cullens were in the living room, even my father.

"It's really not that big of deal." I told her.

"I don't know...Sounded pretty important to me." Alice chipped in.

"Nah, my mom's just a little…overprotective when it comes to me. It's really nothing." I said.

"Speaking of which, where is your mom? I don't believe we've met." Rosalie asked. I can do this. Be smooth, Renesmee. Don't overshare. Don't act suspicious.

"She's in South America right now. Aro found another vampire-human hybrid, so she went to do some research." I said. They looked intrigued.

"Wow, that's so cool! So there's more hybrids." Emmett commented slash asked. I nodded my head.

"Will she be at the ball?" Alice asked.

"Uhh, no. She comes back a few days after." I told them. They looked sad for me. "No- I mean it's okay though. She's not really a fan of dancing anyway." I smiled. Even as a vampire, she has no ability to dance.

"What's her name?" Jasper asked me. I grew nervous. I'm sure he could tell by his facial expression.

"It's…Marie." I told them. That's not her first name, but its still part of her name. It was pretty quiet, but Alice soon spoke.

"Well, she sounds lovely. I'd love to meet her sometime." She gave me a smile. "You ready to go?" She asked. I looked up to see Jane and Alec standing by the door. "I hope you don't mind. Jazz and Emmett are coming too." She added.

"The more, the merrier." I said. "Are you coming, Edward?" I asked. He glanced up at me. He looked surprised. I don't know whether that was because he was invited or because I was being relatively nice. His surprise quickly grew into an annoyed look. Whatever.

"Shopping with you all? No thanks, Princess." He said. I turned and walked out the door with Jane, Alec, and the other Cullens. My father was still being rude, but I wasn't going to give up hope. Maybe, just maybe, I could break down his walls and see the Edward Cullen that my mom had fallen for so many years ago.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey everyone! I hope you liked this chapter. It wasn't super action packed, but it's still important to the story.**

 **I put up a new poll on my channel, so I hope you'll check it out and vote! Or if you'd rather, you can just put your vote in a review.**

 **The poll is "How should Bella find out about the Cullens?"**

 **Options are:**

 **1- Bella comes home early and sees the Cullens**

 **2- When Bella gets home, Renesmee tells her.**

 **3- When she gets home, Bella finds a picture of Renesmee and Edward together.**

 **Feel free to put any other ideas you may have in a review. I'm open to other ideas.**

 **Also, I'd like to know how you guys think Edward should behave now. Should he progressively loosen up to Renesmee as the week goes on or should he keep being extremely rude?**

 **Again, thanks to everyone who has favorited, alerted, and/or reviewed! You guys make me want to keep writing. I love any feedback I can get!**

 **Until next time, Taylor.**


	8. Shopping and Second-Guessing

Renesmee's POV-

We soon made our way out of the castle. It was around three in the afternoon, so the sun was still beaming in the sky. Jane and Alec lead the way to the garage, while I hung back a little and talked to Rosalie and Alice about what types of gowns we were looking for. Then Rosalie and Emmett started bickering over the color that she should be looking for. Rose insists that her best color is red, while Emmett said that black is much more appealing, earning himself a slap and a silent treatment that lasted all of thirty seconds.

Since there were seven of us, and Jane insisted that we all ride together, we all piled in to Demetri's 2016 Cadillac Escalade. I'm sure he wouldn't mind. It was about a thirty minute drive to the mall with Alec's driving—consistently thirty over the speed limit. It would have been less, but I insisted that we travel farther away to a larger mall that I knew had a much bigger and better selection of dresses to choose from.

When we got to the mall, Rosalie and Alice sent their spouses away on a mission and us girls (plus Alec and Jane) made our way to the dress shop. I had been here on multiple occasions, and it was pleasant to hear the sound of excitement from Alice and Rose rather than the typical dread from my mother when we walked in. We immediately set off, grabbing all the gowns we thought were pretty. By the time we got to the dressing room, we each easily had at least nine gowns to try on—not to mention the multiple gowns that Alice had picked out for me.

I stared at myself in the dressing room mirror. The dress I currently had on was grey with white lace layered over it. I pulled my hair out of my face and held it above my head, trying to imagine how the dress would look with my hair in a bun. I heard an impatient sigh outside the dressing room door and smiled to myself.

"Are you ready yet, Renesmee? It's been like three whole minutes." I heard Alice's voice say. I let my hair drop onto my shoulders again and unlocked the door, walking out into the little runway style hallway the store had set up. I heard Alice gasp. "I love it!" I walked toward her and looked at myself in the threeway mirror that was set up. I scrunched up my nose.

"You've said that about all of them." I remarked. Rose nodded her head in agreement. Alice crossed her arms.

"Well all of them have looked gorgeous." I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks and looked down, letting my hair fall over my cheeks.

"I like the green one better. It went better with your hair." Rosalie said. Alice and Rosalie had already tried on all their dresses, and made a decision. I had already gone through most of mine too, but every time I came out, there seemed to be another dress handed to me.

"I liked that one too." I responded and turned around.

"Green is too overdone with reddish hair like yours. Literally any color would look fantastic on you. Mix it up, girl! Try on the blue one next." I jokingly sighed heavily and stomped my way back into the dressing room. I quickly put on the blue dress and took a minute to look myself over in the mirror. The dress was a deep blue, one of my mom's favorite colors. It was low cut and the silver straps rested nicely off the edges of my shoulders. It was cute. I put my hair up in a ponytail to avoid it from getting stuck in the silver sequins from the straps and walked out of the dressing room stall once again.

I walked until I was right in front of everyone, waiting for a response. When I looked at everyone, Alice and Rosalie looked in awe, but…sad at the same time. Alec was giving me his typical 'pretending to be interested' look, and Jane looked concerned.

"What is it? You don't like it?" I asked everyone.

"I think it's a little…mature for you." Jane said. I rolled my eyes. She chuckled. "-I'm just saying. Maybe something less revealing would suit you better." I looked in the mirror and agreed.

"What about you guys? You haven't said anything yet." I looked at Alice and Rosalie.

"It's pretty." Alice said. I raised my eyebrows.

"That's it? It's pretty?" I asked.

"Yeah, it looks really nice on you." She responded, sadness dripping from her voice. I looked to Rosalie.

"You…look a lot like a girl we used to know. She wore that same color blue to our high school prom a long time ago. She was breathtaking…" She stopped momentarily. "-As are you, of course. We just miss her a lot." Okay, then. I guess it's a no-go on this blue dress. I wouldn't want to show up and make people sad. That would be awful. Next dress.

The next dress I actually picked out for myself. I found it in the bridal section, but I didn't really care. It was gorgeous. I quickly got dressed once again and this time when I looked in the mirror, I was actually in awe. The dress was all white and full of lace. It had long sleeves and the front of the dress covered up to my collarbone, so there was no "inappropriate" skin showing (as Jane would probably say). The back was cut out all the way down to the small of my back. I twirled, smiling.

I eagerly exited the dressing room and made my way, smiling, down to where everyone sat. Alice squealed as soon as she saw me.

"Oh my goodness, Renesmee! You look stunning!" She placed her right hand over her chest as if her heart was hurting.

"That's the one. It looks perfect on you." Rosalie commented. I smiled and turned to Jane. As always, she looked apprehensive. I twirled again, smiling at her.

"Is that a wedding dress?" She asked. I chuckled.

"Maybe. What does it matter? I think it's beautiful." I told her.

"Well then you have your answer. Get it." She told me. God, she sounded like my mother. I looked in the mirror again. It did look distinctly like a wedding dress.

"Maybe I could get it tailored so that it fades into a deep blue around my waist. That would be pretty." I told myself. I turned and went back into the dressing room. I changed into my normal clothes again and carried out the several gowns that I had taken in with me. I gave most of them to the attendant and walked to the cash register to pay for my wedding gown.

"We've been in here for over two hours." Alice commented, checking her phone.

"It'll be worth it when Emmett and Jasper get to see how beautiful you two look in your dresses." I smiled at them and Alice gave me a side hug. In a matter of hours, I already felt like she was one of my best friends. It was weird to know that she was there throughout my parents' whole relationship. She had once been my mother's best friend. I was lost in my thoughts when the cashier told me how much the gown costed.

"Sorry. I missed that. How much?" I asked.

"One thousand two hundred and nineteen dollars" The saleswoman said. Oh shoot. I was thinking the dress was three, maybe four hundred dollars. One thousand two hundred dollars?

"I got it." Alice stepped in front of me and pulled out her credit card. I began to shake my head.

"Alice…" I began. She held up a finger to me.

"Nope. This is part of my birthday present to you." She told me. Part? She was planning on getting more?

"No, that's way too much Alice." I told her.

"Stop your fussing. It'll be just as much a gift to me to see you glowing in your beautiful gown at the ball." My heart soared at her words. The cashier handed Alice my gown in a zipped up black bag, and Alice turned and handed it to Jasper, who I hadn't even realized had been standing behind me. She then turned and paid for hers and Rosalie's dresses before heading toward the door. I was still speechless.

"It's about 5:45. Are you hungry, Renesmee?" Jane asked. Everyone looked at me for my response.

"Yeah, but I can wait until we are done shopping to eat if it's easier." I said.

"Don't be silly. It'll be nine by the time Rose and Alice are done shopping." Emmett commented. I smiled.

"We really don't mind, Renesmee. It'll be a good break." Rose said. We all walked toward the food court, which was swarming with people. I ordered a burger and we all sat down at a circular table in one of the corners of the food court.

"That's not very nutritional, Renesmee." Jane told me. I stopped eating and tilted my head at her.

"You're not my mother, Jane." I told her.

"No, but it's my job to watch over you. You should be eating a salad or something." She told me. I looked up. I could tell by her face that she was uncomfortable—not from our conversation, rather by the fact that she was surrounded by humans. She was always antsy when she was around actual people.

"Well, I'll tell you what. I'll change my diet when you change yours." She sighed. I could see the contacts she had just recently put in her eyes were starting to dissolve. I resumed eating my burger.

"You don't drink human blood?" Jasper asked me. I looked up at him. All of the Cullens were staring at me.

"Uhh, no. My mom and I prefer to stick to animal blood. It's less… atrocious." I said looking Jane in the eyes. She rolled her eyes.

"You know we've tried, Renesmee." Alec told me. I was well aware of this. Multiple times over the years, they had attempted to give up human blood. It never lasted more than a week or so.

"That doesn't mean much to me. I'm half-human. Half of who I am is what you feast on. It's sickening." I told them. The Cullens were looking amongst eachother, deciding whether or not to say something. Nobody spoke.

"Or so I've heard." Jane muttered. I ignored her and went back to my perfectly unhealthy burger.

"So, Nessie. Tell us more about you." Emmett said. I looked up, not sure what he was saying. He was looking at me. I was sincerely confused.

"What?" I asked him. He laughed his booming laugh that I'd already grown so fond of.

"I hope you don't mind. Renesmee's kind of a mouth full." Rosalie attempted to smack his sides discreetly, secretly telling him to knock it off. I laughed.

"Nessie? Like the Loch Ness monster?" I asked him, jokingly. I took a sip of my soda. He grinned widely again.

"Didn't think of it that way, but I suppose. Some would say your kind of mysterious and enchanting." I starting choking on my soda and his booming laugh echoed around the food court. I could see people staring. Once I could properly breathe again, I smiled at him.

"Okay. Nessie it is."

* * *

After I had finished eating, all seven of us wandered the mall, not really ready to head back to the castle yet. All except Jane that is. Alice, Rose, and I shopped for shoes and accessories for the ball while Jasper and Emmett would look in the sports and men's apparel stores. While we were shopping, I'd learned a lot about everyone. Dare I say that we…bonded. It was fantastic! If only my father was here too. And in a good mood I should add.

So we had basically trekked the whole mall, and we were heading back to the car when Alice suggested that we look down a smaller wing of the mall. It was just a very small wing that lead out to another parking lot, but it had a few stores in it. I knew of it, as I'd been to this mall a thousand times before, but I'd never bothered to wander that way.

There were a few cute stores that sold little knick knacks, and there was a little playland for small children. My favorite, however, was the music store. It wasn't the kind that sold cd's, although they did have a few. It was the kind that had instruments, equipment, and sheet music all around.

As soon as I saw it, I insisted that we check it out. Jasper and Rosalie were drawn to the guitar section, while Emmett was drawn to the drums, and Alice was drawn to the woodwind section. I wandered around, looking for something specific. As I walked around more, I grew increasingly frustrated. Finally, I found it though! The piano and keyboard section. To my surprise, they actually had a full size grand piano in the middle of the section. Most of the stores I'd come across had a few keyboards set up but nothing more.

I slowly glided over to the piano and took a seat, placing my hands lightly over the keys. I'd always wanted a piano of my own at the castle, but my mother had insisted on no pianos of any sort. She did agree to let me get lessons though. She always arranged them on days or at times that she was busy, so Aro, Jane, or Alec would end up taking me. I didn't know what my mother's problem with pianos was, but I hoped she'd get over it. Playing the piano was one of my favorite things in the world.

I began playing what I remembered of a song I had written the last time I had come across a piano. I didn't have a name for it yet. I closed my eyes and felt myself drift into the melody. When I finished playing my song, I opened my eyes once again. I knew Alec and Jane had been watching, but when I turned around all of the Cullens were staring at me in awe.

"That was lovely. Did you write that yourself?" Jasper asked. I nodded, standing up from the piano.

"I think you could teach Ed a thing or two." Emmett commented.

"Edward plays the piano?" I asked.

"Absolutely. He's extraordinary." Rose answered me. That made sense. I had always wondered how it was possible that my mother could hate the piano so much when I was so in love with it.

"You have the same concentration and focus that he does when he plays. It's delightful to watch. I think he'd be ecstatic to know that you're just as drawn to the piano as he is." Alice chipped in. I smiled. I resembled my dad.

We headed home after that. When we arrived home it was about 8:30, so I still had like thirty minutes before my mom would be calling. The Cullens had gone back to their rooms to put all of their things away. After that, they said they'd be watching some movie that Emmett had found. I was relieved to know that I wouldn't have to worry about one of them accidentally overhearing my conversation with my mom by simply wandering around.

I made my way toward the north wing where Aro's office was located. It was around the corner from our library. I was thinking about all of the great things that had gone on today. I couldn't wait to tell Aro.

Unsurprisingly, I got lost in my thoughts and wasn't paying attention to where I was going. As I went to round the corner by Aro's office, I ran into something I could have sworn was a brick wall and began to fall backward. I braced myself for the fall, but it never came. Rather, a pair of cold hands had caught me by the waist. I looked up into the face that I quickly recognized as that of my father and stood upright, brushing his hand in the process. One I was upright, I studied his facial expression again. It had gone from fear when I had fallen to complete and utter surprise when I stood up.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't watching where I was walking." I told him quickly. I could feel the blood rushing to my face as I went to walk around him. He quickly stopped me though.

"Hold on." He requested. He grabbed my arm lightly and let it fall again. "Weird." He mumbled.

"What's weird?" I asked, not really sure I wanted to know.

"I-I could've sworn…that I read your mind." He finished. I grew nervous. In the second that my hand brushed his while I was standing up, I must have transferred what I had been thinking to him. I'm pretty sure I was just thinking about all that I had done today, but who knows. I hope I didn't show him anything containing my mom. "-But it was different. I could see everything so vividly in my mind. It seemed almost real." I wasn't sure if he was talking to himself or to me. He was speaking so low.

"What exactly did you see?" I struggled to ask. He looked up at me. I could feel my knees almost buckle under me as his perfectly golden eyes locked with my light brown ones. I was so nervous. I knew he could tell.

"I saw you guys at the mall." He smiled a little bit. "You had been playing the piano, and then you turned around and everybody was smiling." As he explained, his expression changed from happy to sad. I wasn't sure what to say. "I can't remember the last time I saw my family so completely and sincerely happy." He told me.

"Well, I have many more memories like that if you'd ever like to see them." What the hell was I even saying? I sound like an idiot. "I'm- uh. I can show other people what I'm thinking through touch." I could see he was going to inquire about why it hadn't worked when he grabbed my arm the second time. "It didn't work the second time because I wasn't trying to show you anything. I suppose the first time, I just slipped." I told him. He nodded. "I'm sorry for running into you. Thanks for catching me." I told him. Before I turned I could have sworn I'd seen him smile a bit.

I walked away, heart racing, toward Aro's office to tell him all about my day, which had surprisingly just grown exponentially better.

* * *

Edward's POV-

I looked down into the fearful eyes of Renesmee. I had been searching for the library, which I thought was just around the corner from Aro's office, when we ran into each other. My hands had automatically reached out and caught her. My heart ached as I remembered all the times I had saved Bella from falling. When Renesmee had realized what happened, she quickly stood up, brushing my hand in the process.

As her warm skin brushed against mine, a vision filled my head. I could see Renesmee's small, dainty fingers dancing across the keys of a piano. I could hear the sound coming from it. It was beautiful. She finished and turned to face my family, who gazed at her although she was a precious jewel in a museum. Smiles filled their faces and I could almost feel the emotions that Renesmee had been feeling in that moment. She was undeniably happy. As she gazed at them, she felt a feeling that I swore I could never experience again…love. I could feel it through this vision. I had no idea how. This had never happened before. She withdrew her hand from mine and eagerly rushed around me.

I stopped her, testing to see if I could see the vision again by touching her again. Nothing. She explained her gift and I relayed to her what I had seen. Following that, she quickly scurried away toward Aro's office.

I was astonished. I thought back to the vision I had seen/felt/heard. It was as if for a second, I was her. In that time, I recalled feeling no negative emotions whatsoever. All day, I had been thinking she had been up to something. Nobody could be as perfect as she appeared to be…Right?

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **So Edward's doubting his original thoughts about Renesmee…Hmm.**

 **Thank you all so much for your feedback on how you think Bella should find out about the Nessie and the Cullens!**

 **Since it went over so well last time, I figured I'd do another little poll.**

 **How should Edward and Renesmee interact from here on out?**

 **1\. He progressively loosens up to her and the rest of his family.**

 **2\. He loosens up to Nessie, but not the rest of his family.**

 **3\. He is rude to everyone.**

 **Once again, thank you to everyone who has favorited, alerted, and reviewed! I appreciate your feedback more than you could understand.**

 **With that being said, go ahead and tell me what you want to see happen, whether that would be this chapter or later in the story. Until next time, Taylor.**


	9. Battle Bonding

Renesmee's POV-

 _"Bella, she's my daughter too. I deserve to know her." I could feel my dad's grip on my wrist tighten, pulling me closer to him._

 _"You don't deserve anything, Edward! She barely knows you. I'm the one who's raised her for the past hundred years. I made her who she is. I don't need you messing her up." My mother hissed back at him, pulling me closer to her once more._

 _"Guys, please stop fighting!" I pleaded, tears streaming down my face._

 _"I didn't even know she existed. You never told me that you were pregnant. You just left!" My father yelled, the pain evident in his eyes._

 _"Exactly! I never told you because I didn't want you to know. I am her mother, and she is my responsibility. I'm not going to spend the rest of my life trying to protect her from you." My father looked heartbroken. I tried to pull my hand out of my mother's grip, but she held on._

 _"Mom, stop! You're being ridiculous. They're my family." I told her. This time she actually heard my pleas._

 _"They're your family? Renesmee, this is not your family. I'm your family. Aro, Marcus, Caius, Demetri, Jane, Alec, Heidi—those people are your family. Not these people!" She yelled at me. I sobbed into my hands and my dad pulled me to his chest. I looked up at him, pleading for him to help me._

 _"Bella, I'm her father. I want to be a part of her life." He told her._

 _"Renesmee, do you want him to be a part of your life?" She asked. I breathed a sigh of relief. Finally we are coming to a resolution. I nodded, wiping the tears from my eyes. "Fine. If you're going to choose this stranger over your own mother, get out." She told me with a straight face._

My eyes shot open, and I struggled to catch my breath. I sat up from my bed and allowed my eyes to adjust to my surroundings. I could feel my body starting to relax as I realized that it had only been a dream. It scared me to no end to think about what would happen when my mother found out about what I'd done.

I took a deep breath and wiped the tears that had started falling down my face. I could only hope that my mother would be more forgiving of my decision than she had been in my dream, or nightmare rather. I looked at my phone. It was nearing ten o'clock in the morning. I thought back to last night, alarmed that I woke up two hours later than I normally did.

Last night was a fairly busy night to say the least. After shopping and running into my father in the hall, I talked to Aro for about half an hour before my mother called. Despite my horrible nightmare, my conversation with my mom was actually really great. I obviously didn't tell her about the Cullens staying here, but I told her that the first of the vampire clans came and that we went shopping for ball gowns. She even pretended to be interested while I described my dress to her.

We then talked about her progress with the vampire hybrids. She said that they had met them, but were still trying to gain their trust. She sounded really hopeful and happy, and my guilt about lying to her multiplied. We talked for another thirty minutes before she insisted that I get my sleep. We planned to talk again today in the evening because she didn't know what her plans for this morning would be. I promised I would text her and we said goodbye for the night.

Despite not getting any sleep yesterday, when I hung up the phone I wasn't ready to go to sleep, so, against my better judgement, I stayed up and watched two movies with the Cullens—aside from my father who was absent. When I realized that it was 12:30, I finally decided to cave in and get some rest.

I shot up from my bed, not looking to waste any more of my day and quickly got ready in the bathroom. I picked out a simple tan pleated mini-skirt and a plain white short sleeved top. I threw my hair in a high ponytail and slid on some nice sandals. I could hear my stomach starting to growl, so I headed toward the kitchen. I was surprised to find Esme standing in front of the stove cooking something.

"Good morning, dear. I made you some breakfast. Your grandfather suggested eggs and bacon. I hope that's okay." She smiled kindly and I gracefully glided toward her, sitting in one of the chairs on the other side of the island that the stove was on.

"That's very sweet of you, Esme. Thank you." I smiled and she gave me the plate of food she made. While I ate my food, we had a nice conversation about miscellaneous things; Me telling her about my love for the piano as she'd heard from her kids, and her telling me about her life— human and present.

Carlisle had entered at one point and he asked me a few questions about myself. Stuff like my diet, my traits from both sides, and a few questions about my mother and her pregnancy. I was able to answer them all as honestly as possible without giving too much away, at least I hope so.

I was getting ready to eat another piece of the bacon that Esme had so kindly made for me when I heard a number of screams coming from the direction of the throne room. I took a deep breath and set my piece of bacon back down on my plate. I could feel Esme and Carlisle watching me.

I had spent the last hundred years hearing the same sort of echoing screams every few days or so, yet it never got any easier. I knew what was happening. I had been unlucky enough to accidentally walk in on my family's "feast" a few times. Normally, my mother knew ahead of time and would warn me, but as I keep being reminded, she's not here.

"Thank you for the breakfast, Esme. It was really good. I don't think I'm hungry any longer." I told her. She gave me a sympathetic look and reached out to take my hand into hers. I smiled a little up at her.

"I don't suppose either of you have seen your children this morning, have you?" I asked after a few seconds. I tried to erase the massacre that had just occurred in the other room from my head. Esme looked to Carlisle, and I turned to look at him as well.

"Last I checked, Jasper and Emmett were going at it in the training room. I haven't seen Alice or Rosalie." He stated simply. It didn't go unnoticed that he had failed to mention my father.

"And Edward?" I asked. He looked up at me, surprised. He probably had assumed that my father had scared me away by now.

"Umm. I suppose he may be in his room. I haven't seen him either." Carlisle told me. I hopped down off of the barstool and headed toward the training room. On the way, I passed Jane and Alec who were in the base. As soon as I walked by, I could hear Jane start to follow me. I knew it was Jane because Alec was a heel-striker whereas Jane's walk was next to silent.

"Does this still qualify as stalking even if it's in our own home?" I asked her. I could hear her laughing quietly to herself.

I walked into the training room with Jane on my heels and found all of the Cullens in there. All of them. All of them including my father. I couldn't help a smile from crossing my face. When I walked in, Alice and Emmett were fighting. When Emmett saw me, he stopped for a second to acknowledge me, allowing Aunt Alice to take him down. I chuckled.

"Nice moves, Alice." I told her and she gave me a brilliant smile.

"Who's next?" Alice asked. I could see out of the corner of my eye that my father was alternating between looking at the floor and looking at me. I could feel my cheeks heating up.

"Nessie?" Alice challenged. I sighed, expecting what was about to happen next.

"Absolutely not." Jane said. I crossed my arms. Nobody ever let me fight. They always say that I'm too weak and that I'll get hurt, which makes no sense. If anything, I should learn to fight so I can defend myself against a real attack. I already knew the words she was going to say and imitated Jane by mouthing her words as she spoke them. "She can't fight. She's way too fragile." I rolled my eyes.

"Remember those words when they're written across my gravestone because I don't know how to defend myself." I retorted.

"That won't happen because you have me and everyone else to protect you. Just like I'm _trying_ to do right now." I walked over to a spot against the wall and sat down. Jasper took my place, fighting against Alice. It scared me to know that if it ever really did come down to a situation where I had to defend myself like this, I'd be clueless.

Jane eventually left after she was summoned by Caius to the throne room. I was extremely thankful. As soon as the next match was over, I hopped up from the ground.

"I'm next!" I declared. The majority of the Cullens looked at me like I was joking as I made my way to the mat in the middle of the room.

"Who wants to be my opponent?" I covered my eyes with my hand and twirled around with my other arm pointing away from me, randomly choosing my competitor. However, as I was spinning, I lost my footing and started to fall. I barely started to lean before my father's hand was on my wrist, preventing me from falling.

"I'd stop before you hurt yourself." He said, sounding dreadfully similar to Jane. I groaned.

"I want to learn how to defend myself against a real attacker. I don't want to be thought of as some fragile little human that needs protecting." At the last part, I could see that his mind had wandered somewhere else and his eyes looked sad.

"Jane said not to." Rosalie stated.

"Thankfully, Jane isn't my mother. Even if she was, I am nearly a hundred. I can make my own decisions." If only they knew.

"I think it's a good idea." Emmett said.

"Of course you do." Rose mumbled.

"You already have the advantage because normally Edward would rely on reading your mind." Alice spoke quietly. My father immediately snapped his head in her direction.

"Hold on, why do I have to be the one to fight her?" He asked. I was a little insulted. I was actually really eager now. I'll show him not to be rude to me. Just kidding. It'd probably be like a mouse trying to fight a wrecking ball.

"Because you're already on the mat…and Jane doesn't like you anyway." Jasper answered for Alice.

"You're not scared of a little competition are you, _Eddie_?" I mocked him. I could see by his facial expression that he didn't appreciate my little nickname for him.

"Of course not, Princess. I just don't want to hurt you." He told me, a little annoyance in his voice.

"Are you sure? I think you're scared to lose to a puny human girl who never learned to fight." I guess I kind of threw myself under the bus there a little, but I could see that it got to him. Emmett was cracking up on the side of the mat, and a smile covered my face in response.

"Okay, _little girl_. Let's fight." My heart started racing. I was both excited and mortified at the same time. I didn't really think I could win. I just wanted to see if he'd give in. He crouched low on the mat and I imitated him, having no clue how one fights.

He came at me quickly and I dodged his attack. He was quick, but I was quicker. I smiled to myself. He looked surprised. I prepared for him to come at me again. He did so quickly, and I tried to pull the same move I did before, but it didn't work this time. He grabbed me by the waist and was about to knock me to the floor, but I somehow managed to flip over him, escaping his grasp.

Surprisingly enough, we went back and forth for a while. I'm not sure how long. At one point, he had me trapped in his grip. It didn't hurt, but I couldn't move. I wasn't sure if it would work, but I placed my hand on his arm for a second and sent a vision of complete and utter darkness. I guess it worked because he looked very confused, and I took the opportunity to pin him to the ground.

Following, I stood up quickly and placed my left foot on his chest, symbolizing my victory.

"Yay, I win!" I cheered. Everyone looked surprised. My father looked shocked. I offered him my hand, but he stood up on his own. Shit. I made him angry. I wasn't sure if I should say something, not looking to make matters worse. I had been staring at my hands until I heard him say something.

"Nice moves, Princess." I looked up at him and he gave me a slight but _sincere_ smile before walking out of the room. This was progress.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hope everyone liked this chapter! I know it wasn't super exciting or action packed, but it helps develop Edward and Nessie's relationship.**

 **No Edward's POV for this chapter, but the next chapter will have some. Do you guys like when I add in his point of view, or would it be better to just stick to Renesmee's thoughts? Let me know!**

 **If I've said it once, I'll say it again. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, alerted this story and/or myself. It means the world!**

 **Let me know any thoughts you have on the chapter or any predictions for later on. I'll also try to respond to questions if you have any. Until next time, Taylor.**

 **P.S. I'm thinking of uploading on a weekly schedule on Sunday mornings, but with being off school tomorrow, I may decide to upload again, so be on the lookout (and review)!**


	10. Nothing but Charm

Renesmee's POV-

The Cullens and I spent about another hour in the training room messing around. At one point, even Alec loosened up enough to join us and fight against me. I could tell he was taking it easy though because he could have easily used his power and cut off any of my senses. I would take it though because it was better than nothing.

I wasn't sure where my father had disappeared to, but I became hopeful when Jane informed me that Aro made plans for she, myself, Alec, and the Cullen "children" to explore Volterra. This week, the town is having a special celebration in the form of a street fair, which Jane mentioned we would be going to after exploring the city. Seeing as most of the time Volterra is sunny, I didn't think that exploring the city would be an option, but it just so happens that today is one of the few days that it's overcast.

I didn't feel like changing my outfit from this morning, so while the Cullens were getting ready, I ate a small lunch in the kitchen. I couldn't wait to see all the different kinds of food they have at the street fair. As I was eating lunch, I couldn't help but notice the dull ache in the back of my throat. I knew what that meant. In the next few days, I'd have to go hunting. Maybe the Cullens would like to go with me. I had noticed that even though their eyes were still gold, they were growing darker.

I was still eating the spaghetti I had made myself for lunch when Alice and Jasper joined me in the kitchen.

"Hey Ness. Did I mention before that I love your outfit today?" Alice asked me. I blushed and gave her a polite smile.

"Thanks. You're outfit looks great today too." She was wearing dark jeans, a maroon blouse, and a black leather jacket complete with a grey scarf around her neck. Jasper chuckled. I wasn't sure why. I figured it wasn't important.

"Is everyone almost ready to go?" I asked. Alice shrugged a little.

"I suppose. I think Rose should be ready soon. I can't imagine it would take Emmett any longer than her." Alice told me. I grew sad. For the second time today, my father's name wasn't mentioned when I asked about the family. I could see that Jasper was picking up on my sadness and I tried to get rid of it, a task not easily done.

"What about Edward?" I ask. Jasper smiled a bit.

"Ed never participates in any of our family activities anymore. I assume he's not going." He told me. My sadness returned. I was looking forward to spending time with _everyone_ today. "…Unless maybe you could convince him otherwise." He told me. I grew a little more excited and he tried to hide his smile. "I'm sure he'd be more likely to listen to you than any of us." He added. I was surprised by his words.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked curiously. Alice and Jasper looked at each other as if they were communicating in their minds. They were hiding something from me. Did they know?

"Nothing really. It just seems like…Well he's different with you. Somehow in a matter of 24 hours, you've managed to begin chipping away at his hard exterior." Alice told me. I could feel my heart race at her statement.

"You give him hope." Jasper told me. "I mean, he'll never actually admit it, and he's still consumed mostly with sadness and anger, but there's a tiny little bit of hope." Jasper made a tiny gap between right thumb and pointer finger to show me that there was a little bit of hope. Alice chuckled at his antics. I stood up from the table, throwing away what was left of my spaghetti.

"I'll see what I can do." I exited the room, walking toward Edward's room, where I assumed he was at. I passed Emmett and Rose on my way there. They asked what I was doing, so I explained, and Emmett wished me a sarcastic "good luck".

I made my way down the long hallway and stopped in front of his door. I took a deep breath and lifted my right hand to knock on the door. Before my hand came in contact with the door, it flew open.

"What do you want, Renesmee?" He asked me. I was still surprised about the door flying open before I knocked. I wondered how he knew it was me. "The fluttering heartbeat gave it away." He told me. My confusion must have been written on my face because it had already been established that he couldn't read my mind. He was staring at me, waiting for me to ask my question.

"You should come to explore the city with us." I told him confidently. He raised an eyebrow.

"No thanks." He said and began closing the door. I caught it and he looked annoyed.

"Hold on! It'll be fun. There's lots of cool landmarks and sites! And after exploring the city, there's a street fair with _lots_ of fun stuff like games and rides and tiny little shops." He opened the door back up again.

"That sounds dreadful." He told me. Gosh, he's just as stubborn as my mother. No wonder I'm so stubborn. There was no way around it! He began to close the door again and once again I stopped it.

"Wait! Just last night you were sad because you couldn't remember the last time you'd seen your family sincerely happy." I told him. I could tell that he was listening now. "Well this could be a perfect opportunity!" I practically begged him. He ran one of his hands through his already messy bronze hair. I suppressed a smile because I often find myself doing that too.

"Nobody wants me to come, Renesmee. I'll just make everyone else miserable." He told me. I shook my head immediately.

"Oh hush! That's not true. Jane was acting like a whiny bi— _brat_ when we were at the mall the other day, and everything was fine." He didn't look convinced. "If anything, I'm sure your family would just be happy to be spending time with you." _At least I would be._ He sighed heavily.

"Renesmee—" He started.

"Please?" I subtly batted my eyes at him like I would when I was trying to persuade my mom to do something. He groaned and grabbed his jacket, walking down the hall toward the kitchen. Success!

* * *

For about five hours, we all explored the city. There were numerous landmarks around that I was dying to show everyone. My father remained fairly reserved throughout our little adventures, but it was still nice to know that he was here. I had forgotten my camera, so I had to resort to taking pictures on my phone. It was inconvenient, but it worked.

As soon as I took the pictures, many of which contained the Cullens, I downloaded an app that required a password to view specific pictures within my camera roll so my mom wouldn't accidentally stumble across them. I think the app was designed for teenagers that had the intention of exchanging scandalous pictures, but hey, if the shoe fits, wear it!

As the day went on, I could see Alec loosening up to the Cullens, which made me really happy. Jane was civil, but she was just as stubborn as me. She wasn't going to give in and be nice to them. My mother texted me periodically throughout the day, asking what I was doing. Each time she texted, a feeling of guilt ran through me and it was clear that Jasper noticed each time. I was sure he was going to say something, but he never did.

After exploring the city landmarks, we all walked to the street fair. It was about six in the evening when we got there, so it wasn't dark yet. The first bit of the street fair was filled with all sorts of venders, selling lots of cool things in their little mini shops they set up. There were lots of different sorts of shops, so it seemed that there was stuff for everyone.

As we began nearing the center of all of the action I could hear my stomach growling, and Jane insisted that I get something to eat. I got a corn dog, much to Jane's dismay, and we all kept on exploring.

There were lots of games set up around the center of the fair. There were rides too, but nobody thought it would be a good idea to have me spinning outrageously fast on a ride so soon after eating. I complied and we stuck to the games.

My favorites were the ring toss and a spinning wheel game because none of the others seemed to have an unfair advantage over me with those. It was hilarious watching Emmett grow increasingly angry that he couldn't get the rings to smoothly land over the coca-cola bottles. It made it even worse when I got two in a row, earning myself a medium-sized stuffed monkey.

We tried out an assortment of other games, but most of those followed a specific pattern—I sucked and the rest of the Cullens were brilliant.

"Don't feel bad, Ness. At least your better than that guy." Emmett looked up toward a teenage boy that had surprisingly large muscles. He looked like he was trying to impress the pretty girl on his arm by winning her the large inflatable crown as a prize. He failed miserably, and looked extremely embarrassed. I felt bad for the poor guy, but I couldn't help smiling.

As it grew darker, we moved away from most of the games and started heading down a road that had more little venders and music playing farther down the street. I found a few cute things I liked, but after I noticed Alice secretly purchasing everything I said I liked, I stopped looking. About halfway down the road, it diverged into a wide open area that was currently being used as a dance floor. I laughed as Alice and Rosalie immediately started dancing happily as we neared the crowd of people dancing. Jasper looked hesitant. Meanwhile Emmett started busting his moves, causing me to burst out laughing.

"Come on, Renesmee!" Alice shouted over the music, pulling Jasper toward her. I shook my head.

"I think I'm just going to go get a water from that stand over there. I'll be right back." I told them before wandering off. I ordered my water and thanked the vender before turning around and coming face to face with my father.

"You aren't planning on dancing are you?" He asked me. I let a smile escape from the side of my mouth.

"Not if I can help it." I told him honestly. I did like dancing, don't get me wrong. I just kind of…look like a chicken having a seizure. I chuckled at myself.

"Why not?" He asked. I started walking back toward the crowd of dancing people. I shook my head, smiling.

"I have to admit…I'm not very good." I blushed. I could still feel him looking at me. I looked up and saw him smiling. He was actually smiling. "What?" I asked.

"So you're not very good at dancing, yet your having a ball for your birthday?" He asks. I shook my head.

"That's different."

"How so?" I search my head trying to think of an answer.

"Well, first of all, ball music isn't this quick. I'm less likely to trip over myself…And at a ball, you dance with a partner, so it doesn't matter if I suck because I can just follow their lead." I explain.

"I find it hard to believe that you can't dance. You're very graceful." He adds. A burst of laughter escapes me when he says this.

"Me? Graceful. Oh, no no no." I look up at him smiling. He looks as if he's thinking and a few seconds later, he speaks again.

"Can I ask you something?" I stop walking and look over at him. He looks pretty serious.

"Go for it. You're on a roll." I smirk.

"Why did you insist on me coming today?" I stopped and tried to figure out how to answer that.

"I don't know." I told him. He raised his eyebrows at me. I shook my head. "Maybe I just like spending time with you." I told him. He looked confused and I felt a cold hand grasp my wrist pulling me. It was Alice pulling me to the dance floor. I groaned internally and decided to just give in and dance with everyone. It wasn't so bad. Emmett twirled me in circles as I laughed. I could see my father standing alone, still looking confused. It worried me a little, but I soon forgot about it as I focused on dancing with the rest of my family.

* * *

Edward's POV-

She likes spending time with me? Why would she like spending time with me? I've been nothing but rude this whole time.

I watched as Emmett twirled her in circles, the curls in her hair bouncing beautifully as she danced. She was beautiful. I could admit that much. At first I had found her big brown eyes and her rosy pink cheeks dreadful as they reminded me so much of Bella, but now I couldn't stop looking at her, finding comfort in her soft features.

I couldn't deny that she made me feel different than any of the other vampires I'd encountered before. Not in a romantic way. No. Nobody would ever replace my beautiful Isabella in my heart. I don't know how to describe how she made me feel.

All I know is that when I was with her, the pain that had been weighing down my cold dead heart since the minute I left my Bella…it seemed to go away, at least for a little bit. I almost felt happy.

I'd never admit it, but she had been right about today. It was worthwhile to see my family so happy. They had all taken Bella's disappearance pretty hard too. They all loved her, but my idiot ass messed everything up. I could feel the pain start to flood my heart again and tried to rid myself of it by looking up at my family and the beautiful girl that had captured everyone's hearts…even mine.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I guess not even Edward Cullen can resist the charming nature of the beautiful Renesmee.**

 **I hope you all liked this chapter. I had a good time writing it, especially the end with Nessie and Edward. I just love those two!**

 **I've been thinking and I pretty much know the general direction that I'm going with this story, but there's still a few ideas that I'm bouncing back and forth between, so I'll probably just list them as polls at the end of the next few chapters.**

 **The biggest question I'm trying to decide right now is whether or not Edward should know that Renesmee is his daughter before he leaves Volterra. What do you guys think? Help me! These are my ideas, but if you have any other thoughts, please share. You can either review or vote for your choice on my profile page!**

 **1\. Edward will know that Bella is Renesmee's mother and that Renesmee is his daughter before he leaves.**

 **2\. Edward will not know of Bella being alive or being Renesmee's mother before he leaves, nor that Nessie is his daughter.**

 **3\. Edward will find out that Bella is alive and that Renesmee knows her, but he won't know of their relationship.**

 **4\. Edward knows that Bella is Nessie's mom. He doesn't know that Nessie is his daughter.**

 **As far as whether or not any of the the other Cullens should know, I got that under control. I just need your help with Edward.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and/ or alerted! You all are fantastic! Until next time, Taylor.**


	11. Waterfall Oasis

**A/N: Hey everyone! Quick note before reading- I added another chapter on Monday, which you may or may not have already seen. If not, I suggest you read that one first! Okay, you may continue…**

Renesmee's POV-

 _Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep_

My eyelids opened slightly and I could see the horrendously bright sun shining into my bedroom. I yawned and picked up my phone from my bedside table to turn off my obnoxious alarm. I saw that I had two text messages from my mom. One was a good morning text and the other was another update on the hybrids. Mom and the others had gained their trust and were now able to start their investigating.

I briefly responded to my mother and checked the time. It was seven o'clock. I guess I could go back to sleep if I wanted to, but the whole point in setting my alarm for this morning was so I wouldn't waste any valuable time with the Cullens like I had yesterday morning. I dramatically rolled out of my bed and on to the floor before crawling over to my mirror. I probably shouldn't have. My reflection told me that I was in desperate need of a shower. My hair was all over the place and my skin lacked it's usual glow.

I stood up from the ground and made my way to the bathroom. I quickly showered and got dressed in a plain white henley top and a pair of black leggings. My hair was still wet and the moisture from the shower stuck to my skin, but I was starving, so I didn't spend much time putting together my outfit. I'd get dressed in actual clothes later.

I made my way toward the kitchen like I always did and got lost in my thoughts. I thought about the fact that it was already Friday and the Cullens would be leaving on Sunday night after my ball. I guess it was my fault for growing so attached to them so quickly. I didn't anticipate it being that hard to say goodbye.

Maybe sometime I could travel to their home to visit. I mean, I was turning a hundred years old in less than three days. It's not like I was too little to travel by myself. I chuckled at the thought. I'm sure Jane, Aro, and especially my mother would disagree. I could always invite them back again! Just kidding. Once mom found out about what I'd done, she'd likely never fall for that trick again.

Another thought occurred to me just then. Maybe when I tell mom, she'll be happy. It has been a long time and—if I've said it once, I'll say it again—I can see that she misses them. I erased the thought from my head. That was highly unlikely. Mom was going to be pissed.

I made my way into the kitchen and came across Emmett and Jasper sitting at the table playing a game. As soon as I walked in, Emmett spoke up.

"Morning, Ness. What are you doing up so early?" He seemed very energetic and I smiled at him.

"I didn't want to waste my day by sleeping in." I told him and walked over to the refrigerator. I pulled out a package of strawberries and another package of blueberries.

"What? There's no such thing as too much sleep. When I was human, every free second I had, I was napping. It was a huge adjustment when I became a vampire and couldn't sleep anymore. That was my favorite activity." I chuckled at him and fixed myself a plate of fruit.

"That surprises me. You don't really come across as a lazy type." I told him, bringing my plate of food over to the table where the boys sat.

"I wasn't lazy. I just liked to sleep. There's a difference." He told me. I looked at Jasper with questioning eyes and he shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. I began eating my food while Emmett and Jasper were conversing with each other.

"So Ness, I can't help but notice that you seemed awfully comfortable around Ed yesterday." I raised my eyebrows at him, not really understanding what he was getting at. "Not to mention I was right about you being able to convince him to join all of us yesterday." Emmett let out a subtle laugh and shook his head. I was even more confused now.

"I'm not so sure that I'm picking up on what you're laying down." I told Jasper. He leaned back in his chair, smiling to himself.

"I think he's trying to be polite in asking whether or not there's anything going on between you and our brother." Emmett said without any hesitation, catching me completely off guard. I half coughed/half choked on the blueberry I was eating and looked up at both of them in horror.

"Oh my god! What the hell? No! Heavens, no! How could you—What? Oh my god! NO!" I violently shook my head and I could see they were both clearly amused.

"Wow, tell us how you really feel." Emmett commented sarcastically. I elbowed him in his ribs and I was surprised when he actually cringed. "Damn, girl. You got bony elbows." I stood up from the table, shaking my head at them both. Emmett was laughing as I walked away.

"I'm glad you think you're funny because I just lost my appetite." I told him and he laughed even louder. Through his laugh, I could hear Alice walk in and skip over to her husband.

"Morning, Renesmee." She greeted me. I smiled at her and responded quietly, still embarrassed and disgusted by what Emmett and Jasper had brought up.

"So, what's the plan today, Ali?" Jasper asked her.

"I'm pretty sure today Nessie planned to take us hunting." She told him and looked up at me for my confirmation. "At least as of an hour ago that was the plan." She added. I nodded at her. For a while, I had completely forgotten that she had the ability to see the future. I hoped that she wouldn't see anything in her visions about my mother.

"I'm sure Jane and Alec are going to be thrilled when I tell them." I commented. Alice smiled up at me.

"Actually, you'll be pleased to know that they will not be accompanying us today." I repeated her words in my head, making sure I was hearing them correctly. I was shocked.

"Wow, how'd you manage that?" I asked. She shrugged.

"I have my ways." She shot me a dazzling smile and I shrugged. I don't know how she did it, but I didn't really care. I was free! Sort of.

"Well, whatever they are, I'm thankful." I told her. She kissed Jasper's cheek and hopped off his lap.

"C'mon. Let's go get you ready." She said and held out her hand. I felt like I was two years old and still needed help picking out my clothes, but I took her hand and let her guide me to my room.

We walked into my room and as I saw her walking toward my closet, I stopped her. I almost forgot about the pictures of my mom just scattered in there.

"Alice, I don't think I need your help picking out an outfit." I told her. She pouted and dramatically plopped down on my bed. I chuckled.

"But it'd be so much fun! You're like my little dress up doll." She told me. I jokingly furrowed my eyebrows.

"Little? Alice, I'm like half a foot taller than you." I put my hands on my hips. She smiled again and I walked into my closet.

"Are you sure I can't help?" Alice yelled from my bed.

"Yes, I'm sure! I promise you can approve of it before we go." I shook my head as I began searching through my endless hangers of clothes.

"Hey, bring a bathing suit! You might need it." She yelled. I turned toward where her voice came from even though I knew I couldn't see her from where I was standing. A bathing suit? Why? I guess I would find out.

"Hey, do you see me needing a jacket?" I joked, not really expecting an answer.

"No, but I'd discourage you from wearing light colored shoes." She spoke. Again, I have no idea why, but I guess I'll trust her. I threw on one of my favorite bathing suits—it was a two piece. The top was a racerback style had thin horizontal black and white stripes while the bottom was high-waisted and a soft pinkish-orange. I figured that the top was good enough for my shirt. I threw on a high waisted maroon skirt with combat boots. I decided not to wear any jewelry because it would be a pain to keep track of if we were going swimming.

"Okay. What do you think of this?" I walked out into the bedroom and modeled my outfit for her. She smiled and gave me a nod of approval.

"Cute, but before we go, I need to ask you. What do you want for your birthday?" I knew she wasn't kidding, but I desperately hoped she was.

"Alice, you've already gotten me a ton. I don't need anything else." I told her. She gave me a joking annoyed look.

"I got you a couple of things, but everyone else still needs to get you a gift." She told me. "And I'm not really satisfied yet. I want to get you something you'll love!" I groaned. I hoped not everyone else went as all out as Alice did.

"I don't want anything else, Alice." I began to walk toward the door.

"What about a piano? I see you don't have one." She commented. I scoffed.

"Ha! My mother would have my head." I told her honestly, waving her toward the door. She tilted her head.

"What? Why? You were amazing! She should be proud of you." She commented. She looked hurt.

"Well I mean, she is. She just doesn't want us to have one here." I explained. She looked confused, but didn't ask. "Are you ready?" I asked her sarcastically. She stood up from my bed and walked toward the base where everyone else was at. I passed Jane and she eyed my outfit with a disapproving look, but I ignored her.

The rest of the Cullens were ready to go when Alice and I arrived in the base. We headed out soon after that. We ran about 30 miles northeast of Volterra to a heavily forested area that would be sufficient for our hunting needs. At first, they had tried to run slow, expecting that I wouldn't be as fast as them, but they were quickly proven wrong when they found I could easily keep up. A few of them found some deer, but I was holding out for a better prey—-more specifically a wolf.

It took about three hours, but I finally set my sights on a wolf. I was glad I had held out because this one was a giant! I might not even need to drink anything else. I took my time stalking my prey and as soon as the opportunity presented itself, I took him down. My family looked impressed although it wasn't really anything different than what any of them had done. Maybe it was because I hadn't hurt myself. That was probably it.

We hunted for a while longer. The burn in my throat had gone away for the most part after the wolf, but I still took down another deer just to completely be full. Everyone stood around for a minute as we waited for Rosalie to return from catching her meal.

"You know, Nessie, when you said you weren't as fast as a typical vampire, you were really being modest. You're faster—-almost as fast as Ed." Jasper commented. I smiled at the compliment.

"Ehh, I think she may have him by a little bit." Emmett teased. My father let out a dazzling smile and shook his head at his brother.

"Nobody's faster than me." He retorted.

"Ooo, sounds like a challenge to me." Alice added. I smiled. This was the first time that I'd seen the whole family, including my father, actually acting like a family. The way they teased each other out of love made my heart race. I decided to contribute.

"It's okay, Eddie. I can see that you're not up for another challenge after yesterday morning." I stared at my nails, acting like a professional. He smirked at me.

"You wish, Princess. Let's go. Count down, Alice." He told his sister and she gave me a supportive look.

"Okay. 3, 2, 1…G-" I took off as soon as I heard her start to say go. He was a little ahead of me, and I pushed myself until I was running right next to him. I heard him laugh and push himself further ahead. I struggled to keep up, but I didn't want to hear him gloat in my face.

I got lost in my thoughts trying to strategize what I could do, and in the meantime, I lost him. I wasn't sure if maybe he turned or if he was really just that far ahead, but I knew that he was no longer in my sight. I stopped when I reached a beautiful waterfall with a sizable pond beneath it, not sure what to do. Maybe I should turn around. I jumped when I heard a soft voice in my ear.

"I win." He said and I quickly turned around to see my father smiling at me. I crossed my arms and accepted my defeat.

"You may have won this time, Cullen, but I'll get my revenge." I said.

"Revenge?" He raised his eyebrows. "Why do you need revenge? I believe we're even now, Princess." He had a point. Everyone else came running and I was dragged toward the beautiful pond by none other than Miss Alice Cullen.

"This is it! This is the waterfall from my vision." She told everyone. Everyone had decided that they had done enough hunting to last them for a while and we took a break to swim. It was actually a lot of fun. It was fairly warm for October, so I wasn't cold, thankfully. I'm sure one of them would have laughed at me if I started shivering. Emmett found it quite amusing that I had to come up to breathe after a few minutes underwater. Stupid human traits.

There was a lot to do in the little waterfall oasis and I hoped I could remember the way back to show Mom. She'd love it. I watched as Jasper and Emmett cannonballed off the edges of the waterfall into the pond—which looked more like a small lake—and splashed me, Esme, Alice, and my dad.

"Watch it! I'm trying not to get my hair wet." My dad warned them. Now that was a joke. His hair was already all over the place. What did it matter if it got a little wet? I smiled to myself as I thought of a plan. I dove underwater and swam toward him. I'm surprised he didn't sense me coming. When I got to him, I grabbed his foot and pulled him underwater. He opened his eyes and looked at me before emerging to the top.

"Renesmee!" He shouted. I giggled and hid behind Esme.

"Sorry not sorry. Now that I have my revenge, we're even." He gave me an unamused stare, but I could tell that his madness was very shallow. Inside he was laughing like me.

"No. Now you're ahead one." He argued.

"Exactly. That's how it should be. The end." I rebutted and a smile broke through his lips. As he stood there, I could see a tiny piece of hair on the front of his head start to defy gravity and float upward. I burst out laughing and ran a few feet to get my phone to take a picture.

I opened the camera app just to be told that I didn't have any space left. Everyone else got out of the water too.

"No! I just wanted a picture!" I pouted and my dad chuckled, drying himself with a towel.

"Karma's a bitch." He smirked at me. I gave him the same unamused glare he gave me and he chuckled.

"Ha-Ha. Hilarious. Now I can't even take a picture of the waterfall to show my mom." I grew sad. I hoped I could remember how to get here. I likely wouldn't though. We'd been hunting for hours.

"It's okay, darling. You'll find it again." Esme rubbed my back, much like my mother would do when I was sad. I shrugged, and at the thought of my mom, I grew guilty.

"Why do you feel guilty, Renesmee?" Jasper asked. I'm sure he'd been wanting to ask that since he got here. I was surprised he waited this long.

"I just miss her." I told him. I guess that doesn't really explain why I could be feeling guilty. "She's off doing research to learn more about my kind while I'm having the time of my life in a beautiful waterfall oasis." I told him. "She'd love this." I added.

"I'm sure you have some ugly selfies or accidental screenshots in there somewhere. Just delete them." Emmett offered his advice, but it was pointless.

"No way. All of my pictures have a special meaning. I'm not deleting any of them…And how dare you think that I have any ugly selfies." I joked at Emmett.

"If it really means that much to you, I'll draw you a map when we get back. I remember how to get here." My dad added. He tried to play annoyed, but I saw straight through his silly little act.

* * *

Edward's POV-

My family headed back to Volterra soon after Renesmee's little freak out over not being able to find her way back to the waterfall. It was about five in the evening when we arrived at the castle. Renesmee had immediately gone off to shower and upload old photos to her computer to make space for new ones on her phone. Meanwhile, Emmett, Rosalie, and I were hanging out in the "base" as they liked to call it.

Alice had said we'd be having some sort of game night and I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to talk myself out of it, not that I really desired to. Emmett and Rose were talking and I was hanging out awkwardly on the love seat opposite the couch they were on.

"I never thought I'd see the day when I could actually admit that I'm going to miss someone from the Volturi." Emmett said. Rose smiled at him. I listened as Rose thought about how Emmett rarely talked about how his feelings. She was savoring the moment. "That girl is something, you know?" He asked. Rose laid her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm going to miss her too." Rose added. I listened as they both thought about Renesmee and how she could make everyone happy just by existing. I can't say that I thought any differently.

Today had been great. For the first time in what seemed like forever, everyone actually seemed like a normal, functioning family. At least, it was comparable to how it had been before Bella disappeared. Even Renesmee seemed to fit right in amongst my family.

She had everyone wrapped around her finger, and she didn't even have to try. Even when she was being annoying, like her little stunt in the pond today, I found her little tricks and sassy comments endearing. I had also started feeling the reciprocal of that.

It had not gone unnoticed that every time she spoke of her mother, she grew guilty and sad. It was hard to tell by looking at her, but Jasper could feel it, so I could tell by reading his mind.

Every time she felt sad, I wanted to wrap her in my arms and tell her everything would be okay. It almost pained me not to, which frightened me to a great extent. It was so bad, I even reconsidered the thought that she could be my mate.

I didn't feel anything romantic toward her, but why else would I be feeling this way around her? My thoughts were quickly, and thankfully shot down when I caught Emmett laughing to himself, thinking about the little confrontation this morning that he had with her.

I didn't have the slightest clue what it could be. I had only just met her, and I already felt like she was meant to be a part of my life.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hope you liked the chapter. I know it's kind of the same idea of family bonding, but it's important, I _promise_!**

 **I know many of you want Bella back right this instant, and believe me, I do too. It's exciting to think about how she's going to react! In fact, I'm still trying to figure it out in my head so it's** **perfect** **! (Speaking of which, if you have any ideas, feel free to review…)**

 **I also want to address another situation that's come up a few times. Was it smart for Renesmee to go behind Bella's back? No. But she did. She did so because she's been waiting to meet her family for 100 years. She probably knew she was going to hurt her mother, but after waiting for 100 years, I think her patience ran out. At least she feels guilty. So there you have it… Renesmee is not a heartless monster. She just wants to know her family. Also keep in mind that Renesmee believes that her mother left the Cullens, so she has no reason to think they did anything wrong.**

 **Thanks for all the favorites, alerts, and reviews! You da bomb dot com.**

 **Let me know what you thought of the chapter or if you have any questions/predictions!**

 **Or if you can't think of anything…**

 **Question of the chapter: What's the best prank you've pulled on a family member or friend? **


	12. The Call

Emmett's POV-

I'll admit, when Alice first told us we would be having a game night with Renesmee, I was a little skeptical. I'm all for having fun, but when I picture game night, I imagine a bunch of people sitting around playing card games and monopoly. With this being said, I was happily surprised when right off the bat, we jumped into a heated game of Truth or Dare. As to be expected, I was a natural. We actually had so much fun playing Truth or Dare, we didn't bother switching games.

"Ok, Eddie-boy. Would you rather…be hairy all over or completely bald?" I flashed a wide smile to my dear old brother who looked like he would kill me for even posing the question.

"I happily decline to answer." He responded. I knew we were all walking on thin ice with Edward, so I was going to let it go, but Renesmee wasn't satisfied with that.

"You can't do that! That's against the rules." She told him. He raised his eyebrows.

"Well then I choose dare." He rebutted. She seemed satisfied with this and looked to me for the dare. I thought about it carefully. I finally came up with one I thought everyone, especially Nessie, would really like when Jane came into the room and told Nessie that Aro needed to talk to her.

I chuckled as Renesmee reluctantly stood up and followed Jane, pouting the whole time. We decided we would wait for her to come back because I didn't want for her to miss Edward's humiliating dare. However, the plan changed when I was suddenly inspired by an even better dare. My inspiration came through the form of Nessie's cell phone ringing. I looked down at the small device on the table and read that the caller ID said _Mom_.

I hated that Nessie would have to miss the good part of the dare, but I couldn't waste this perfect opportunity. As soon as I thought of the idea, Edward must have heard it and groaned. I laughed and he slowly reached for the phone.

"Make it convincing Ed." I added, earning myself a piecing glare. The rest of my family watched in silence as Edward picked up the phone and hit the green answer button.

"Hello?" He answered with a high-pitched girl voice and a British accent. I had to cover my mouth with my hand to prevent my booming laugh from escaping me. The rest of my family looked very amused. Through the phone I could hear the chuckle of the girl on the other end of the call.

" _Well, hi there._ " She responded with an amused voice. " _You don't sound like my daughter._ " She added with another chuckle. In my mind, I told Edward to switch to a deep southern accent.

"Sorry, m'am. She's unavailable right now." He spoke, a smile stretching across his face. I could hear someone walk into the room, but I was too focused on the phone call to see who.

"What are you guys doing?" Renesmee's voice asked, trying to analyze the situation.

" _Oh, that's too bad. May I ask who I'm speaking to?_ " The musical voice asked through the phone. Immediately, Nessie sprinted across the room, nearly tackling Edward trying to get the phone.

"Give it!" She told him. He smirked and spoke into the phone again.

"I think your daughter wants her phone back. It was nice talking to you Miss Marie." He said before Nessie ripped the phone from his hands and scurried away.

* * *

Bella's POV-

I followed Demetri and Felix out of the quaint little home that I had grown accustomed to over the past few days. After the initial suspicion was cleared up, the Marino family was more than willing to answer all of my questions, and surprisingly, I was able to answer a few of their questions too.

They were astounded when I told them my story with Renesmee. Unfortunately in their case, none of the childrens' mothers had survived past childbirth. The Marino family consisted of four members. Joham was the head of the family and the biological father of the other three. Nahuel was the oldest, and the only son. He was nearing 300 years old, but he looked to be 21, the same age as his father. The other two children, Reina and Clara appeared to be about 19. They were both around 150 years old.

In the past few days alone, I have learned so much. For example, Nahuel was venomous, unlike his sisters and Renesmee, which makes me think that only male hybrids were venomous. I also learned that the hybrids stopped aging when they appeared to be around the same age as their father, with the females looking slightly younger. This explained why Renesmee looked to be about sixteen, pushing seventeen depending on how she carried herself.

Felix and Demetri had gone hunting, which I gladly passed on. We were currently staying in a cute beachside hotel in Venezuela, just north of where the Marino's resided. I pondered what I could do to pass the time. I could go to the beach, but I had already been there more than enough times for one trip.

I suppose I could call Renesmee. It wouldn't be too late, so she probably wouldn't be sleeping yet. I picked up my phone and quickly dialed the number. It rang a couple of times before a velvety, high pitched voice responded.

"Hello?" The voice said with a piss-poor British accent. I chuckled. This was definitely not the voice of my daughter. This could be interesting.

"Well, hi there." I responded, biting my lip to keep my face from completely being overwhelmed by a smile. "You don't sound like my daughter." I added. I could hear a few chuckles through the phone. I'm glad Renesmee was making friends.

"Sorry, m'am. She's unavailable right now." The same voice spoke. This time with a deep southern accent. A shiver ran down my spine, but I ignored it. I could hear some talking through the phone, but I couldn't make out what was being said.

"Oh, that's too bad. May I ask who I'm speaking to?" I questioned. Suddenly, I heard a crash and my beautiful Renesmee's voice yelling at this mystery speaker to hand her the phone. I chuckled, trying to picture the situation in my head. I heard the mystery person sigh.

"I think your daughter wants her phone back. It was nice talking to you Miss Marie." He said and I took a deep breath. This time he spoke in, what I assumed to be his normal voice. It was velvety and deep. I almost got chills again thinking about it. I heard the phone being transferred over.

"Hi Mama!" I heard my beautiful Renesmee say.

"Hey Babygirl. I just called to check in." I told her, pacing my room.

"Well everything is fine here. We're having a lot of fun." She told me.

"It sure seems like it." I joked. I heard her laugh too, but it sounded more like a nervous laugh.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. Aro wanted to talk to me and me, being the stupid person I am, left my phone behind." She explained.

"No need to apologize to me, Baby. I'm glad you're having fun and making friends!" I told her excitedly. I heard her try to quietly take a deep breath. "However, I am a little confused as to why your friend addressed me as Miss Marie." The other side of the phone was silent. "Renesmee?" I questioned.

"Sorry. Yeah, about that…I hope you don't mind. I told them your name is Marie. I mean…I didn't want…They're from America, and I didn't want to just assume that you were fine with me telling them who you are in case…you know…" She stumbled. I understood what she was trying to say. She didn't want them to ever come across the Cullens and just slip it somehow. As unlikely as that was, I was thankful. My darling girl was always looking out for me.

"I understand, Renesmee. That's very kind of you to consider." I added. We went on to talk about the hybrids and the new information I had learned today. She told me that more guests would be arriving the next day and was eager to tell me all about this place that she called her 'waterfall oasis'. Throughout our conversation though, I couldn't help but feel that something wasn't quite right. Nothing specific really jumped out at me. I guess it was more just a mother's instinct.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Sorry for the short chapter. I thought of this idea and really wanted to incorporate it somehow, but it wouldn't really fit anywhere else.**

 **Also, Bella's getting a little suspicious of her darling Renesmee. That can't be good.**

 **So many of you have said that you miss Bella, and I know this isn't exactly what you mean, but I hope this will suffice for now.**

 **Thanks to everyone who has favorited, alerted, and reviewed! I see every notification and I read all of your reviews an endless amount of times.**

 **Anyone have any predictions or questions, you know what to do. I'll respond to any questions through a review or if you prefer, you can PM me.**

 **Poll (Also on my profile): Should Jacob be in this story?**

 **1\. Yes**

 **2\. No**

 *****It would be toward the end of the story and he wouldn't play a large role. There would also be a probable explanation for how he is alive.**

 **Until next time, Taylor**


	13. Rivals

Renesmee's POV-

I bid my mother a goodbye, and collapsed onto my bed. My heart was still racing from the initial shock when I saw that my father was talking on my phone…to my mother! She didn't sound suspicious about who she had been talking to and she didn't inquire about his identity, but who knows what she could have been thinking. She could have recognized his voice and already begun looking for flights back home by now. The uncertainty was killing me! I guess I deserved it though.

What even made my father think it was a good idea to answer my phone? It was probably Emmett or Alice. They were always plotting something. I collected my thoughts and marched back into the base to confront them. I wasn't even sure if I was mad or not. As of now, I'm not sure my heart will ever recover from the panic that had risen, but I suppose that they could have had a good reason. I guess I would find out.

I walked into the base and they were all still seated in the same spots as before. They had stopped playing Truth or Dare, and were now just talking. I walked in front of where everyone was sitting and crossed my arms, alternating between staring suspiciously at my father, Alice, and Emmett.

"Don't look at me, Princess. It was all Emmett's idea." My father immediately spoke. I looked to Emmett who smiled and shrugged.

"Sorry Ness. The opportunity presented itself and I couldn't pass it up." He half-heartedly apologized.

"I'm so glad you're amused. I nearly had a heart attack." I told him. I heard Alice chuckle, but ignored it.

"Ah, c'mon, Ness. No harm, no foul. Your mom seemed pretty amused." He defended himself. I knew I couldn't come across as too angry because that would be suspicious, but I needed to make it clear that the incident was never to repeat itself.

"I suppose she was in a good mood today. I wouldn't test your luck though. On another day, the outcome might not have been so painless." I told him. He seemed to have gotten the point, but he was still smiling teasingly.

"I can't imagine that. She sounded wonderful and all you ever do is rave about her." My father added. I smirked, several memories coming to mind.

"That's because I've never been on the opposing side of her aggression." I told him. As soon as the words left my mouth, my smirk fell.

The possibilities of what would happen after she found out what I had done flooded my head. I could see it now. She would yell at me mercilessly until either Aro calmed her down or Alec spared me by cutting off my hearing. She would give me the "disappointed look" for weeks if not months or years. She would lock herself in her room and ignore everyone after realizing that I did not act alone in my plot. She would threaten to take me far away from the Cullens and the Volturi, probably to a remote place in Russia with a guarded tower. Then she'd come to her senses and realize that the Volturi could protect me better than she alone ever could. She'd ground me for a year, and she'd never leave me alone again. Then, on top of everything, she would sulk in her room and pretend that she didn't still have feelings for my father.

"Renesmee, are you okay?" Rosalie asked. I came back to reality and nodded.

"Yeah, I think I'm just tired. I should probably get some sleep. I'm sure it'll be a long day with all of the new covens coming tomorrow." I told them, gesturing that I was leaving to go to sleep.

"Oh, okay. Goodnight, hun." Rosalie smiled at me.

"Night, Ness!" Emmett beamed.

"Goodnight, Renesmee." Jasper and Alice added simultaneously.

"Sweet dreams, Princess." My father spoke softly, just loud enough for me to hear. I walked back to my room smiling and it didn't take long until I drifted off to sleep. There, I was met with a multitude of unpleasant dreams, despite my happy mood as I was falling asleep. I obviously dreamed about how my mom would take my betrayal, but I also dreamed about what would happen if the Cullens found out. That scared me equally as much. Would they hate me and my mom for hiding away for all these years? Would they even care? Maybe they wouldn't like me anymore after discovering who I was. The flip-side was almost worse! What if they tried to take me from my mother?

I was awoken from a particularly scary dream that involved a war between the Cullens and the Volturi by two cool hands shaking me awake.

"Nessie, wake up!" I heard Alice's voice call. I flipped over onto my stomach and buried my face in my pillow. "Oh, stop it! It's time to wake up. Jane sent me to get you. A new coven will be arriving soon!" She beamed. I flipped my head so that I could see her and she was smiling brilliantly at me. I threw my cover off of me and hobbled over to my bathroom.

"What time is it?" I asked. Alice pulled out a sleek black phone and checked it.

"A little before 7." She answered. Wonderful. I walked into the bathroom and splashed my face with water to wake me up. I brushed my hair and teeth quickly, and decided to put off showering until later in the night so that I could let my hair dry overnight. I walked back into my room and saw Alice sitting on my bed.

"So you know my plans for the day, but what do you plan on doing today?" I asked. Her face immediately lit up and I knew the answer before it exited her mouth.

"Shopping!" She beamed. This chick liked to shop even more than I did. I wondered how my mom survived being around Alice while she was human. At least now, she didn't get tired while shopping. Just to clarify, she was indeed undoubtedly bored, but at least I knew that she wouldn't fall asleep on me.

"Anything specific that you're looking for?" I asked her. She gave me a look.

"That depends. Is there anything specific that you'd like?" She asked. I rolled my eyes.

"I hope that's not why you're going shopping. You've gotten me enough, Alice." I turned and she shrugged at me.

"Well the rest of my family still needs to get gifts." My eyes widened. I didn't need to be reminded that I'd be gifted with thousands of dollars worth of gifts from the Cullens that my mother would undoubtedly burn out of rage or make me return. "And Aro said it would be a good idea, anyway, since you're going to be preoccupied with the other covens." She said, trying to hide her apparent jealousy.

"Tell your family that as thankful as I am, I don't really want anything else. I have everything that I need." She pondered my words for a few seconds.

"What about a piano?" She asked. I shook my head and scoffed.

"Absolutely not. My mom would never approve, and that is way too much. Maybe a piano cd." I told her. She rolled her eyes and groaned.

"Why must you make this so difficult?" She fell onto the bed dramatically and put her hands over her face. "You are literally Bella." She mumbled. I froze. That was the first time I'd heard her undoubtedly mention my mother. She sat up and looked at me. I must have seemed confused because she started explaining.

"I'm sorry. That just slipped." She said, looking sad. She shook her head, probably at something she was thinking about and continued. "Bella was Edward's mate." I listened to her intently, eager to hear what she had to say even though I'd heard the story enough times from Aro. "She was so damn stubborn about everything—her clothes, her car, her refusal to any time we spent money on her…" She smiled sadly at the memories, shaking her head. "It didn't matter what we said or did, she did her own thing. It was extremely frustrating…but we loved her for it." She paused and looked up at me. "You remind me of her. Not just because you're being _incredibly stubborn,_ but because you're courageous and loving and…I don't even know why I'm telling you this. Edward would kill me." She looked conflicted.

"It sounds like you really care about her." I added and she gave me a slight smile, venomous tears filling her eyes.

"She was my best friend—my sister. She was a part of our family and when she died…" I looked up at her quickly. I'd never heard this side of the story—what had actually happened to the Cullens after mom left. "…after she died, we were all broken—especially Edward. We all loved her dearly, and nothing was the same without her. It still isn't. I think about her everyday. God, Edward nearly rips his own head off whenever he hears me. He's still as broken as he was the day he'd heard that she killed herself." She said the last part so quietly, I wasn't even sure I'd heard it correctly. They thought she'd killed herself? "I really need to stop before Edward hears. He'd flip his lid. I'm sorry for depressing you before you're about to go meet all these new people." She joked. "I'll see you later?" She asked, hopefully and I nodded. She left and I was once again left to my thoughts.

It hurt to see Alice so upset. She was the one that was always so happy and excited about everything. I didn't even know it was possible for someone like that to be so unhappy. I couldn't even imagine what that meant when she said that my dad was far more distraught than she was. That didn't seem possible based on what I'd just observed. Did that mean that he still loved her? Was that ever a problem? I can't imagine why my mom would have felt the need to leave in order to protect me if she knew my father really felt this way. _NO! Stop it, Nessie. Stop it right now._ I thought. I have done enough scheming for my lifetime, which I'm not even certain will go beyond next week. I cannot get caught up in the hope that my parents will get back together. I just can't.

I wiped the thought from my mind, although my heart still sung at the idea, and walked into my closet to find something to wear. I decided on a short white and blue romper that had a floral pattern on it. I let my hair down and wore white sneakers with it. I made my way to the throne room, where I knew the new coven would be waiting. I figured I would eat breakfast after I at least introduced myself.

I walked in and I saw about ten new faces in addition to the familiar faces of Aro, Marcus, Caius, Jane, Alec, and Renata. I walked over to Aro and he addressed the unfamiliar vampires, introducing me in the process. Some seemed intrigued and others such as a tall strawberry blonde from what I later learned to be the Denali coven seemed rather concerned.

Aro had each of the new vampires introduce themselves, and I respectfully welcomed them to Volterra and thanked them for attending my ball. The first group I met was the French coven which was just two vampires named Yvette and Henri. They seemed a little hesitant to meet me, but they were nice. The next person who introduced their self was a single nomad by the name of Garrett. He on the other hand, was extremely friendly. I liked him right away. The last group consisted of seven. They went by the Denali coven. Aro made a note to mention to me that this group and the Cullens were very close.

The strawberry blonde introduced herself as the head of the coven. Her name was Tanya. She proceeded to introduce the rest of her family rather then let them speak for themselves. Her sisters were named Kate and Irina. They both gave me a polite smile that almost looked as if it could double as an apology smile. She then introduced mates, Carmen and Eleazar, who I had heard much of. He used to be part of the Volturi from what I'd heard. After that was Laurent, Irina's mate. He looked at me suspiciously and nodded his head. Last was a boy that looked to be about twenty. His name was Jordan. I couldn't tell if he and Tanya were together. She seemed to think so, while he didn't look so sure.

Just as I did for the Cullens, I showed all of them around the castle, and then went to eat breakfast. I walked into the kitchen and was pleasantly surprised to find my father sitting at the table talking with Carlisle and Esme. When I walked in, they all redirected their attention to me, although I was curious to know what they had been talking about before.

"Good morning everyone!" I said first and made my way to the pantry.

"Good morning dear! How did the introductions with the other covens go?" Esme asked and I smiled.

"As well as I could have hoped. The Denali's are here." I mentioned and my father noticeably froze. "Aro said that you're close with them." I added. Carlisle and Esme looked pleased, and Carlisle gave a look to Edward telling him to ease up.

"They're very dear friends of ours. I'm not sure if you noticed, but they share the same lifestyle that we do." Carlisle responded. I grabbed a banana from the fridge and I could hear my father mumble something under his breath.

"Speaking of the Denali's…" He trailed off and as I was walking over to the table, Tanya and Jordan Denali appeared. Carlisle and Esme stood to go hug them while my father remained glued to his chair.

"Carlisle, Esme, it has been much too long!" I heard Tanya say. I started eating my banana, listening to the conversation between everyone. I looked up again at the Denali's. The first time, I hadn't noticed how truly breathtaking Tanya was. Even for a vampire, she was very beautiful. She had long, curly, strawberry blonde hair which complimented her complexion wonderfully. It made me wonder why Jordan was struggling to escape from her grip. I would've thought he'd be happy to have such a beautiful lady on his arm.

Jordan had slicked back dirty blonde hair and amber eyes. He was obviously handsome too, but he seemed to be more average for a vampire. I noticed that he had full lips and a strong jawline. Next, I looked to his eyes, and found him staring at me. I immediately diverted my gaze and continued eating. I heard my dad growl and I looked up at him.

"Are you alright?" I asked. He looked pissed. My heart raced in my chest, hoping his anger wasn't directed toward me. I saw that he was glaring at Jordan, who in return was smirking at him.

"Edward." Carlisle said in a warning tone. My dad quickly stood up from the table and excused himself. To say that I was confused would be an understatement. Soon enough, Jordan walked over and took the seat across from me where my dad had been sitting.

"Hello." He spoke for the first time. His voice was smooth and pleasant to listen to.

"What was that?" I asked, referring to what just happened with my dad. He smiled, arrogantly.

"Just trying to teach Eddie boy to stay out of my head." He responded. I raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not so sure that's how his gift works." I told him. He shrugged and smiled at me.

"Well, it's still fun to mess with him." He added. I couldn't tell if he was joking or not. I threw my banana peel away and began walking back to the throne room where I knew more covens would be waiting. Jordan stood and followed me.

"So, are you and Eddie boy together?" He asked me. I shook my head quickly.

"No." I answered very quickly. I paused for a few seconds. "Are you and Tanya?" I asked. He made a gagging noise.

"God no! She's horrendous. I can't get away from her." He added. I chuckled.

"Then why did you join her coven?" I asked him, jokingly. His hands shot up quickly.

"I don't know. She was cool at first. Now she's crazy! Everyone else is awesome though. It'd be a shame to have to leave them just because of Tanya." He defended.

"She seems pretty normal to me." I told him, trying to get a reaction. He chuckled.

"Well if you don't believe me, you can ask Edward. She used to be crazy about him too before I came along." He added. I suddenly wasn't such a big fan of Miss Tanya Denali. "In fact, that's probably why he hates me so much! He's jealous that I stole his girl." He smiled smugly and I didn't say anything. "Well, he can have her because I'm not interested." He continued.

Not surprisingly at all, I was too caught up in the words he was saying rather than my surroundings and tripped. Jordan quickly caught me and I stood up straight again, blushing madly.

"Damn, if you can't even walk in a straight line, how are you going dance tomorrow?" He asked. I shook my head, glad to be on a different subject.

"That's a good question. I think I'm just going to wing it. Everybody else in attendance are vampires so at least I won't have to worry about hurting anyone." He smiled.

"Well I could teach you to dance if you'd like?" He offered. I wasn't sure what to say. I guess it could be useful.

"That would be great. Thank you." I said before entering the throne room and jumping in to more introductions.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **So here is a longer chapter to make up for last week's short chapter. I think the next chapter may even be longer than this! There was originally supposed to be more in this chapter, but I think the next chapter would have been super short if I didn't move it.**

 **So drama arises…how are you liking Jordan? Love him? Hate him? Let me know ;)**

 **Edward doesn't seem to be such a big fan. What do you think happened in the kitchen? Do you think Edward really is jealous of Tanya's new love interest?**

 **Thanks to everyone who has favorited, alerted, reviewed, etc! You are the ones who motivate me to stay up until two in the morning writing so I can update on time.**

 **I'd love to hear you're thoughts or predictions, so be sure to leave a review! I will be jumping for joy if _Life Unexpected_ can hit 160 reviews before the next update. I know we can do it! **

**Until next time, Taylor**


	14. JorDONE

Edward's POV-

I was currently seated at the small desk in the corner of my room struggling to wrap Renesmee's present without ripping the wrapping paper. Despite my impeccable dexterity, wrapping presents has never really been my forte. When and if I ever gave gifts in the past, I would normally forgo the wrapping paper. My family never put up a fight, especially after the incident.

It took me about four tries, but I finally got Renesmee's gift to look relatively well-wrapped. I placed the small package in the large drawer in my desk and left my room to find Carlisle. With everyone else always so preoccupied, I was normally the one to fill him in as to the activities we all were doing with Renesmee. I found him in the kitchen talking to Esme, and Alice.

"Oh, Edward! It's good that you're here. I was just about to come find you! We're all going shopping for Renesmee's gifts this morning." Alice told me. I looked to Carlisle and Esme who looked amused at Alice's eagerness. I had a feeling only about an eight of their shopping trip would be spent shopping for gifts for Renesmee.

"I already got her a gift, Alice." I said casually. I heard as her thoughts became confused and smirked to myself.

"What? When did you get her a gift?" She asked. I sat down next to Carlisle and Esme.

"Last night. After Renesmee went to bed and you all…retreated to your rooms." I told her. She smiled and her thoughts wandered off thinking about last night. "Stop, Alice!" I told her. She smiled and took a seat across from me at the table.

"Sorry. So what did you get her?" She inquired.

"Not telling." I teased. She raised her eyebrows and her eyes glazed over. I watched as she saw a vision of Renesmee opening my gift. The vision ended before I could see Renesmee's reaction. Darn. At least there weren't any paper cuts involved this time. I felt a deep pain in my chest at the thought.

"Aww, Edward! That's perfect. She's going to love it." She told me. I chuckled at both her response and because she was thinking about why she hadn't thought of the idea herself.

"I hope so." I sighed. Alice gave me a look that said 'Are you kidding me?' and reassured me that Renesmee would love the gift through her thoughts.

"Well, I have to go get ready. You two are coming, right?" Alice asked Carlisle and Esme. They nodded while mentally preparing themselves for shopping with Alice. I could hear that they were worried. Alice left and I began filling Carlisle and Esme in to what happened last night. They found the prank amusing, but just as Renesmee had, warned me against doing it again as we didn't actually know much about Renesmee's mother.

Soon enough, we were no longer alone. I'd actually heard her fluttering heartbeat approaching before I saw her. She walked in wearing a white and blue…romper? I think that's what they're called. Her long curly hair was worn down and the curls bounced with every step she took. She wore a huge smile across her face, and eagerly greeted us as she walked in.

"Good morning dear! How did the introductions with the other covens go?" Esme asked. Renesmee smiled in response to Esme's question, and walked over to the fridge.

"As well as I could have hoped. The Denali's are here." She said casually. I froze. The memories flooded my brain. I've always had a fairly good relationship with them, even Tanya, despite her numerous advances toward me. Ever since their little addition joined the coven, however, I have been less than thrilled every time we've come across the coven. "Aro said that you're close with them." Renesmee added. I looked up and saw that Carlisle was giving me a look and telling me to calm down through his thoughts. I relaxed, but only slightly.

"They're very dear friends of ours." Carlisle started. I rolled my eyes. "I'm not sure if you've noticed, but they share the same lifestyle that we do." Carlisle said.

"Barely." I mumbled.

"Speaking of the Denali's…" Carlisle began, and I groaned internally knowing from the thoughts of the pair approaching the kitchen who was coming.

"Carlisle, Esme, it has been much too long!" I heard the nasally voice of Tanya say. I looked up to see Tanya and Jordan standing together at the entrance to the kitchen. Tanya had her arm locked around Jordan and he was clearly uncomfortable. It serves him right using her like he does.

As much as I tried to drown it out, I could still hear Jordan's thoughts practically screaming at me. From his thoughts, I could see and hear that he had caught Renesmee staring at him. _Can't resist the J-man. I'm not surprised._ He thought. She was blushing and went back to eating her banana. That was the point when everything headed South. For the sake of my own sanity, I will not repeat the disgustingly vile thoughts that flew through his mind.

A growl escaped my chest. I could kill him. If there weren't other people in the room, I think I actually might have.

"Are you alright?" I heard Renesmee ask. I was glaring at Jordan who had caught on to the fact that I could hear his thoughts loud and clear. He was smirking at me. _My bad, Ed. I guess it serves you right snooping through people's private thoughts._ Jordan's vomit-inducing voice spoke to me through his thoughts. I grew even angrier if that was possible. I heard Carlisle say my name, but I was too focused on not ripping the cocky vampire in front of me to shreds to hear him.

I quickly stood up from the table and excused myself. I practically sprinted to my room to escape Jordan's disgusting thoughts. Even though Jordan hadn't been a part of the Denali clan for that long, he and I already had more than our fair share of conflict.

The first time I had met Jordan was right after he had joined the Denali clan. I remember Tanya being so thrilled to finally have met her mate. She couldn't wait for everybody to meet him. Within three minutes of meeting him, I already knew we wouldn't get along. For starters, he was recalling the several girls he had picked up the night before when he finally managed to escape Tanya.

I tried to talk to him about what I'd heard, hoping I had simply misunderstood. He then told me to stay out of his head and resumed thinking about how he was only using Tanya to satisfy his needs. I tried to warn Tanya, but she wouldn't listen to me. She said that they were still working on the terms of their relationship and that it was nothing to worry about.

The other few times I had come across him, it had been even worse. I'd accepted that Jordan was sleazy, and it was out of my control. I'd done what I could to try to warn Tanya. If she didn't want to listen, that was on her.

Unfortunately, the situation escalated when he began going after Alice, Rose, and Esme. They were all oblivious, of course, blinded by love for their husbands. The one time, he was even flirting with Rosalie at her and Emmett's wedding! How low is that? I warned my family this time. They were smart enough to heed my warning and be cautious around Jordan, but they wouldn't go to the Denali's and help me convince them that Jordan was no good.

They said that it is not our place to go and get involved in their family business. Long story short, Jordan and I were not on good terms whatsoever. I hated him. He hated me. He would even go out of his way just to make me uncomfortable, and then when I snapped, he'd pretend that he was innocent and I was some evil being that was snooping through his mind. It sounds childish, and it most definitely was, but that was the reality of it. We were like bitter childhood enemies. I was the one who was a decent person, but always seemed to lose out, and he was the arrogant asshole who always seemed to one-up me.

A few minutes later, I heard a light knock on the door. I knew it was Renesmee by the fluttering heartbeat and the fact that I couldn't hear her thoughts. I opened the door and she immediately walked by me.

"What happened?" She asked, walking further into the room while I shut the door.

"Well hello to you too, Renesmee." I answered. "I'd say make yourself at home, but I suppose that this already is your home."

"You didn't answer my question." She rebutted.

"It's not important." I answered and she raised an eyebrow. "How was the rest of breakfast after I left?" I asked her.

"Well it didn't really last long. Things turned kind of awkward after you stormed out." She told me honestly. I chuckled at her dramatics.

"Did you have a nice chat with _Jordan_?" I could only assume he'd try to talk to her. I'd actually be quite surprised if he didn't.

"Well I suppose so." She started.

"I assume he's told you all about his antique car collection. I just know that he _loves_ to brag about his cars." I said. I looked over at Renesmee who had her arms crossed and a small smirk playing on her lips. "What?"

"Are you serious right now?" She asked. I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Excuse me?" I responded.

"You're really that upset about Jordan?" She asked.

"Yes. I am really 'that upset' about Jordan." She rolled her eyes.

"He said he was just teasing you." She told me. I scoffed and shook my head.

"That must be the understatement of the century." I retorted. She crossed her arms.

"Okay, then. What was he thinking about that upset you so much?" She inquired.

"I can assure you that you really don't want to know." I told her. She walked over to my unused bed and laid down. "What are you doing?" I asked her. She smiled.

"This one sounds complicated. I figured I should get comfortable." She told me. I smiled a bit.

"Just trust me when I say that Jordan Denali is bad news." I told her. She smiled.

"You can't just say something like that and not explain it! C'mon, what's the backstory?" She asked, teasingly. I was starting to feel better now. I couldn't help but smile at her smiling face.

"There's no backstory. Just drop it, Princess." I told her.

* * *

Renesmee's POV-

"There's no backstory. Just drop it, Princess." He told me. I sighed like I was annoyed, but I was actually really happy because I loved when he called me Princess. That's something that a normal dad would actually call his daughter. It made the fact that he was my dad seem more real even if he didn't know it.

"What you mean is that there's no backstory that you feel like sharing with me." I responded and he smiled his signature crooked grin. "You can at least tell me what he was thinking that set you off." His face fell.

"I meant it the first time when I said that you wouldn't want to know." He responded. Why does he have to be so damn stubborn? I asked twice, I obviously want to know.

"Please tell me, the suspense is killing me! I'm not leaving until I find out." I told him. He sighed.

"Renesmee…" He began with a voice that meant that he wasn't going to tell me.

"I guess I can always go hang out with Jordan and ask him myself." I was bluffing, but he shot me a serious look and I could tell that my words got to him.

"You, Renesmee. He was thinking about you." He spoke, with a highly annoyed voice.

"What about me?" I asked. I wasn't expecting that answer at all. I was thinking maybe he was taunting my dad about something in his head, not thinking about me. I looked at my dad and once again, he looked pissed. "What about me?" I repeated my question. He shook his head.

"He was thinking about you and him… together." He clarified. I felt like there was a lot more that he wasn't telling me but he already looked super uncomfortable and I was extremely embarrassed so I didn't push it.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!" I groaned, covering my face which was as bright red as a tomato.

"I told you that you wouldn't want to know." He spoke. I dragged my hands down my face, lightly tugging my cheeks down with them. "I must say it's a relief to know that you don't reciprocate his feelings. I feel very…protective of you, and I can't say that it would've turned out well if the two of you were to get involved." He continued, subtly trying to get back at me for pestering him.

"STOP! This is a nightmare." I groaned. He chuckled and came to sit beside me.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you from the big, bad vampire." He mocked me. I groaned again.

"This is horrible. If I had known, I never would have agreed to let him teach me to dance." I sighed.

"Why would you accept his offer in the first place? Even without knowing what he's thinking, he still acts like a conceited jerk." My dad commented. I knew he was right.

"I was trying to be nice. I thought that he was joking." I defended myself.

"When is your dance lesson?" He asked. I looked at my watch on my wrist.

"Well it's supposed to be now, but I wanted to make sure that you were okay." I admitted. How ironic that the situation completely turned itself around and now I was the one that needed help. I looked at my dad's face and saw that he looked very serious now.

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear." I heard him whisper before standing up and walking over to the door. I stood up and followed him. He opened the door just as Jordan was about to knock.

"Ah, Edward. It's good to see you again. I hope you're not still upset about the little incident earlier. It was an innocent mistake." He explained, his tone revealing that he was obviously not sorry at all. I was hidden from Jordan's view, but I could see my dad glaring at him.

"No." My dad responded, probably an answer to something in Jordan's mind. I stepped forward so I could see both my dad and Jordan's faces.

"That's too bad." Jordan said, tilting his head to the side slightly. He looked over at me and smiled. I felt sick. "Are you ready, Renesmee?" He asked me. Immediately, my dad stepped in front of me, blocking me from his view.

"Actually that won't be necessary because I'm teaching Renesmee how to dance." He spoke to Jordan. I was surprised, but I decided to play along. I would do anything to get myself out of this situation. I stepped around my dad so that I could see Jordan who was trying to hide his anger at my father.

"I'm sorry, Jordan. I completely forgot that Edward told me earlier this week that he'd teach me to dance." I told him. His eyes softened as he redirected his gaze from my father to me.

"It's alright, Renesmee. I understand." He told me. I relaxed a little bit. "Save me a dance tomorrow?" He asked me. I wished he would just leave. I nodded, hoping that when tomorrow comes, I could just avoid him. He kissed the back of my hand, looking my father directly in the eye while doing so and walked away. I stepped back from the door and my father slammed it shut.

"I could kill him." He said, and I smiled internally at his protective nature. It was silent for about a minute, both of us caught in our thoughts. I was eventually the one to break the silence.

"You know, I wasn't joking when I said that I don't know how to dance." I said. He broke away from his thoughts and walked toward a table where his phone was sitting.

"Well, good, because I wasn't joking when I said that I would teach you to dance." He responded. His phone started playing soft piano music and he walked back toward me, offering me his hand. Before taking it, I consciously warned myself not to lose control of my gift. I didn't want to accidentally show him something again.

I took his hand, and with that, he began teaching me how to dance. He spent three hours teaching me to dance before I actually seemed somewhat graceful. In that three hours, I stepped on his toes a numerous amount of times, and nearly tripped over myself at least nine times. He was very patient though, which I was thankful for.

"You're doing very well, Renesmee. It's been at least ten minutes since you last stepped on my foot." He told me and I laughed.

"Well now what happens when I have to dance with somebody that's not you?" I asked. He smiled.

"I'm sure it will be fine, Renesmee. And if not, fake a cramp in your leg and come find me. I'll be the one sulking in the corner." He joked.

"Nessie, where are you?" I heard Alice call. I was surprised that she was back already, but I guess it had been a few hours.

"In here!" I called. I knew she'd be able to find me just based on that. I heard her walk down the hallway and soon enough she walked through the door.

"I saw some stuff I thought that you would like at the mall so I got it for you." She smiled at my unamused reaction. "I can see that you're busy though, so I'll just show you later. Where do you want this stuff?" She was holding about six large bags in her hands.

"I hope not all of that is for me." I told her. She smiled.

"Don't be silly. Only these five. This one is for you, Edward." She placed my father's bag on his bed, avoiding my gaze. My father mumbled out a thank you. I hated to think she was spending so much on me.

"So where do you want this stuff?" She asked again. I shook my head. She was relentless.

"My room. Thank you, Alice." I said. I really did appreciate everything. It was just so much! She skipped out of the room on her way toward my room.

"Did you expect that she wouldn't buy you all that stuff? In case you haven't noticed, Alice likes to go above and beyond what is reasonable." My dad explained to me.

"No kidding. She already got me so much. I feel bad accepting all these expensive gifts." I told him.

"That's too bad because I actually wanted to give something to you." He said and I groaned.

"Your family has given me so much already. I don't need anything else." I explained. He walked over to his desk and pulled out a neatly wrapped gift.

"That's all Alice. This—" He said, handing me the gift. "—is from me. I know your birthday is tomorrow, but I figured it would be better if you open it today." I held the box in my hand, hesitant to open it.

"Edward, I feel really bad accepting all these expensive gifts." I told him. He shrugged.

"It really wasn't that expensive. I promise." He told me. I began unwrapping my gift and when I finally realized what it was, I was thrilled.

"You got me a camera?" I asked. He smiled. I opened the box it came in, looking at all the other gadgets that came with it. Bullshit, it wasn't expensive! This thing is super fancy.

"I figured that you could use one seeing as you're always taking pictures." He responded. That was super thoughtful. "I can see you're worried about the price, but I can assure you that this is probably the cheapest gift you're going to get from my family." I smiled. I could cry I was so happy. I really loved this gift! I set the box on the bed beside me and my father quickly assembled the lens and body of my new camera. I saw him hold it up and I smiled at him. I heard the click when he took the picture. He pulled it away from his face to look at the picture.

"That's a really good one." He said, turning the camera and showing it to me. It was a cute picture.

"It's alright, but I think something's missing." I commented. He looked puzzled.

"What?" He asked. I took the camera from his hands and turned it around so that it would take a picture of both of us together.

"Smile!" I told him. He chuckled. I took the picture and immediately turned to look at it. It was perfect! I turned the camera to show it to him when I heard Alice's voice calling me.

"R-renesmee! Can you come here, please?" She hollered. I could hear her, but just barely. She sounded worried.

"Coming!" I yelled back. I looked to my dad. "Should I be scared?" I asked him. He smirked.

"I don't know. She's hiding her thoughts." He told me. I turned and started walking. The closer I got to my room, the more nervous I became. I had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **What do I even say?**

 **So Jordan is sleazy as many of you anticipated, and Edward hates him. I guess that's to be expected. Any of your opinions on him change since the last chapter?**

 **Isn't it sweet that Edward saved Nessie from the vile Jordan? And to top it off, Edward gave Nessie the perfect gift.**

 **What do you think is going on with Alice? Leave your reviews. I'd love to know ;)**

 **As always, I am super grateful for everyone who has reviewed, favorited, alerted, etc! You all are amazing. I was hoping to get to 160 reviews last time and I got to 167! That's spectacular! Thank you so much (:**

 **I'd love to hear your thoughts and predictions about this chapter! I would love to get to 185 reviews before the next update.**

 **If there are any questions or concerns, feel free to review or PM me.**

 **Until next time, Taylor**


	15. Anticipation

Renesmee's POV-

As I made my closer and closer to my bedroom, I grew increasingly nervous. I kept telling myself that there was no reason to be afraid, but I couldn't shake the bad feeling in my gut. Alice had sounded worried. I could barely hear her voice when she called me. Perhaps if it hadn't been quiet, I might not have heard it at all. That was the biggest red flag. Alice was never quiet. I'm pretty sure I haven't seen her quiet or calm whatsoever since she got here. There was definitely something wrong.

She was hiding her thoughts too, which meant that whatever it is, nobody else was allowed to hear, not even her own family. Well, except for me of course, but she doesn't know that. Wait, maybe she does! What if that was it? I felt a wave of nausea come over me and I felt like I could pass out.

 _Pull it together, Renesmee! You don't even know what happened yet!_ She could have bought the wrong size dress for me and realized her mistake. That could be it. Even by now, I could tell that she was super serious about her shopping. Yeah, that was probably it…but then why would she be hiding her thoughts?

I shook the thought from my head and tried to calm down. It seemed like it was taking a century to walk from my father's room to my own. I just wanted the anxiety to end!

I reassured myself that whatever Alice was worried about, it was probably no big deal. I already know that she is very dramatic, so whatever it is that she needs to tell me, it's probably nothing.

I reminded myself that I had been very careful about hiding everything that could connect me and my mom, so my secret was probably still safe. Since that first day when Alice almost saw the pictures of my mom hanging around my room, I had made sure that everything was safely hidden away. I picked up the pictures that I had thrown in my closet, collected a few other items that could be tied to my mom, and packed them away in a box I placed on the top shelf in my closet. Even if Alice had gone into my closet, I doubt she would have seen it, let alone have the audacity to start going through my stuff. Then again, Alice was unlike any other person I'd met.

Another thought occurred to me just then. What if she had a vision of me and my mom? She had said that she could predict the future when we met. This secret was kind of gigantic. I don't know why it wouldn't pop up in her visions. Then again, though, she hasn't seen anything up until now. Maybe she can't see my mom because of her shield. Maybe she can't see me either because I'm a hybrid. The uncertainty was killing me.

I ran the rest of the way to my room because I couldn't take the suspense. When I finally got to my room, I walked in to find Alice sitting silently on the bed. I couldn't really read her facial expression, but I could already tell that my anxiety I had been drowning in as I was walking to the room was well deserved.

I'm sure that she heard me enter. My heart was racing by now, so I'm sure that it was hard to miss, yet she didn't move a muscle as I closed the door behind me and sighed. She didn't even turn her head.

"You called for me?" I asked. She seemed to break out of her trance, but she still sat frozen on my bed, not even bothering to nod her head. After a few seconds, she blinked rapidly and shook her head slightly. She looked as if she was having a war between thoughts in her head. She appeared to be distressed, scared almost, but she said nothing.

I slowly made my way over to the bed to sit next to her, both to find out what was going on, and because the nausea and dizziness I'd felt earlier was back. I sat down and placed both of my hands in my lap. I remained silent for a minute, hoping that she would say something. I was so scared in this moment that I was too afraid to pry.

Alice continued to sit on the bed, staring at the ground in front of her. She had venomous tears in her eyes and my breathing became unsteady. I knew I had to say something, otherwise we'd be here, sitting silently on my bed all day.

"Alice?" I asked. When I said her name, her facial expressions showed that she was sad, hurt, and confused. It looked like she had just been told that she had two weeks to live. "Alice, what's wrong?" I pried.

For the first time, she actually moved her head to look at me. She looked as if she was unsure of what to say, which was a first. I raised my eyebrows at her and she turned to look at her hands again.

"Ness, is there something you want to tell me?" She asked quietly. It was quiet enough that I could barely hear her and I was certain that anybody trying to eavesdrop wouldn't have heard it. My heart began racing again.

This couldn't be happening. She had to be talking about how Bella is my mom. I can't imagine anything else that would be bringing her this much distress. I was panicking. I desperately wanted her to be talking about something else, but I can't imagine that she would be. I prayed that whatever it was had nothing to do with my mom.

"No." I answered weakly. God, even if she didn't know that I was lying, she would be able to tell. I was screwed. I looked at Alice. I could tell that she knew I was lying, but she wasn't sure if she should say anything else. I saw her pull something out of her pocket and hand it to me.

"Are you sure?" She asked. I looked down at the small rectangular item she had handed to me and I knew that the charade was up. It was a picture of me when I was three, but physically looked like I was eight. I was sleeping in the arms of my mother, who was looking at me like I was the only person in the world. I knew the picture well. In fact it was one of my favorites.

My heart swelled at memory, but any happiness I felt looking at the photo quickly disappeared as I was faced with the reality of the situation. Alice had found out my secret. From now until forever, she knew that Bella was my mom, and with a mind reader as a brother, I'm certain that it wouldn't remain a secret much longer.

 **Author's Note:**

 **I know it's a short chapter, but I really wanted to update today to make up for not updating on Monday. I didn't even think about the fact that it was a holiday because I had school (bummer) so it didn't really feel like one.**

 **A lot of you guessed right about your predictions for what happened! Sorry to those who thought it was Bella. I promise, she'll be back VERY soon.**

 **I also still plan to update again tomorrow. This was originally going to be part of that chapter, but I figured that it's already written, so I might as well just publish it!**

 **I am blown away by the amount of reviews I got last chapter! Thank you all so much! You all are so amazing and make me eager to update.**

 **Leave any thoughts, predictions or suggestions in a review. I'd love to see what you think!**

 **If you have any questions, feel free to review or PM me (:**

 **By the way, there's a new poll on my profile! Go check it out and vote (: I'll mention it again in tomorrow's update.**

 **Until next time (tomorrow), Taylor**


	16. Aunt Alice

*****I had to reupload this because it wasn't showing up. Sorry for those who got 2 emails about it.**

 **A/N: I updated another chapter yesterday, so if you missed that update, check that one out first.**

* * *

Renesmee's POV-

I eyed the small photo in my hand, tears rushing to my eyes as I realized that I had been caught. My dad had said that Alice was hiding her thoughts before, but I didn't know how long that would last. I remained silent. I glanced up at Alice. I'm not sure if she was waiting for me to speak, but she wasn't looking at me.

She appeared to be lost in her thoughts. She looked sad, but didn't appear angry at all. I was slightly relieved at this discovery, although I still felt horrible. She looked over at me and began speaking again.

"I swear I wasn't trying to snoop through your stuff." She said and I sighed. "I was putting the clothes I bought for you away, and I accidentally knocked over the box on your shelf." I closed my eyes, tears starting to fall down my cheeks. I was so ashamed that she had to find out like this. "I caught it before it hit the ground, but a couple pictures fell out." She explained, quietly.

"Alice, can we not talk about it here? Please?" I asked. She looked at me and her eyes softened, not that she was angry before. She looked like she wanted to hug me. I only wish my mom would have the same reaction when I told her about the Cullens, but I knew that wouldn't happen. Alice smiled sincerely at me.

"Of course." She agreed and stood up. "Are you hungry?" She asked me. I had just eaten a couple of hours ago, but I could already feel the hunger coming on. Maybe it was the dancing. I nodded and Alice offered her hand to me. I took it with one of my hands and stood up. With the other hand, I wiped my tears. Alice gave me a sympathetic smile and I followed her out of my room.

We passed Emmett in the hallway and I tried to make myself look as normal as possible. I guess the red eyes from crying gave me away though.

"Woah, Ness. Are you okay?" He asked me, seeming very concerned. I smiled and nodded. I was still at a loss for words.

"Everything's fine, Em. Nessie's just a little overwhelmed about the big 100, so we're having a little girl time, just the two of us." She explained. I was thankful. "Can you let Rose know that we'll have to reschedule our manicures for later tonight or tomorrow?" Alice asked, changing the topic of focus. Emmett nodded and quickly glanced between Alice and I before walking away.

We didn't run into anyone else on the way out, thankfully. We both hopped into one of my mom's several cars. Alice drove because I hated driving. When we got into the car, I saw a smile cross her face. I took a deep breath and I could smell my mom's scent lingering. It was relaxing. Maybe that was what Alice had been smiling about, although I wasn't sure. Certainly, my mom would smell very different than what she had smelled like as a human.

"Anything specific you're in the mood for?" Alice asked as we pulled out of the garage. I shook my head and I looked over at her. We were well out of earshot by the time I spoke.

"Okay, we're out of earshot. Lay it on me." I told her. Immediately a gigantic smile spread across her face.

"So it's true then? Bella is your mother?" She asked excitedly. Although I still felt a little sick, I felt much better seeing Alice back to her normal, excited self.

"Yep." I replied simply. She smiled an extremely wide smile and glanced over at me.

"I can't believe I didn't realize it before! All of the signs are there! I mean, you look like her, you act like her…Gosh! You even have Edward wrapped around your finger!" She cheered and it looked like the reality of her words hit her all at once. "Oh my God, Edward. Edward's your…" She stopped and I chuckled, feeling calmer by the minute.

"I think the word you're looking for is father." I said. She squealed. "Was that necessary?" I asked her and she smiled.

"Oh, my goodness! Edward has a kid! He and Bella have a daughter. I'm an aunt!" She exclaimed and I smiled at her antics. She shook her head, with a huge smile on her face.

"Did that not occur to you right away when you saw the picture?" I questioned, jokingly.

"Well, I mean, it sort of did, but it didn't hit me until now." She explained, excitement in her voice. At least my scheming made somebody else other than just me happy. "Oh my god!" She exclaimed. I looked at her, chuckling.

"What?" I asked.

"You knew!" She accused me. I was confused. Of course I knew about everything. Why is this a surprise?

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"When I told you about Bella, you knew the whole time!" She exclaimed. I smiled, recalling our conversation this morning.

"Mostly." I beamed, but then my smile faded. "I didn't know that everyone thought she'd killed herself." I added.

"You little devil. You let me ramble on about how sad I was that my best friend killed herself and you knew!" She shouted, lightheartedly.

"What did you want me to say? In case you haven't noticed, I didn't really intend for you or anyone else to find out." I told her. She looked sad. "I'm sorry." I told her.

"What for? If anything, I should be the one apologizing for how I acted earlier. I was just so in shock! I can't believe that my best friend has been alive all these years…and she has a daughter!" She was once again happy. "This could change everything!" She added and I felt my heart race again.

"Alice, you can't tell anyone!"I told her. She pouted.

"But Nessie—" She began.

"Alice, please! Nobody was supposed to find out." I told her.

"Yeah, but that was before. This is now. Things could finally be how they're supposed to be again!" She pleaded.

"No, Alice. My mom is already going to kill me for inviting you guys. I can't even imagine what she'll do if she knows that you know." I rebutted. Alice didn't say anything for a couple of minutes.

"You know I can't keep it from Edward forever." She said quietly. I sighed.

"I know, but at least for now, _please_ don't tell anybody…and hide your thoughts." I told her. We pulled up to a small fancy restaurant and walked inside. Alice requested private seating and tipped the hostess with a wad of cash. Soon enough, we were seated in a small room with a single table and two chairs in it.

"You didn't have to do this, Alice." I said, referring to the private seating. She gave me a slight smile.

"Actually, I did. I would really like to learn more about you and your life. I didn't want to risk any humans overhearing us." She explained. I braced myself for the endless amount of questions she was about to spew at me.

"Okay. What would you like to know?"

* * *

I finished up my fettuccine alfredo and our waitress took away my plates.

"Is there anything else I can get for you two?" She asked. I shook my head, taking a sip of my drink.

"No, thank you." I told her.

"I'll be right back with the check." She said and turned, exiting the room. I looked up at Alice and saw her smiling at me.

"What?" I asked her, giving her a look.

"You're perfect." She said. I rolled my eyes.

"Stop. I'm the same person I was two hours ago." I told her.

"You were perfect then too. I just didn't realize it." She told me. I shook my head. "You're parents are Edward and Bella." She shook her head in disbelief. "I don't know if I have ever been happier than I am right now."

"Whatever you say, Ali." I responded.

"You know, if you want, you can call me Aunt Alice." She said, I rose my eyebrows.

"I don't know if that'd be such a good idea if we're trying to keep this a secret." I said. She smiled.

"Well, yeah, but I mean like when it's just us." She said. "You don't have to if you don't want to." I shook my head at her.

"No, I promise it's not that. It would make me really happy to call you Aunt Alice." She smiled when I said this. "It's just a little new. That's all." She nodded her head in understanding. I looked down to check the time on my phone and saw that it was almost time for my dress fitting.

"It was really amazing finally being able to sit down and get everything off my chest, but we need to head back soon. I don't want to be late for my dress fitting." I told Alice. She paid the bill and we soon headed back to the castle.

By the time we got back to the castle, I was already a few minutes late for my dress fitting. I ran down the hallways and didn't have time to acknowledge anybody I came across. I ran into the room to see an amused Miss Hillary. She was my usual tailor when I required one. She was a vampire too, but she didn't live in Volterra. She lived a few hours away. I didn't need her very often, so it worked out alright.

"No need to rush, Renesmee. I'm getting paid by the hour." She told me, jokingly.

"I'm sorry I'm late, Miss Hillary. I was at dinner with my friend." I hesitated a little when I said friend. I guess that's what anyone who didn't know the truth would call us. I saw that she noticed.

"Oh, is this friend a boy?" She inquired. I blushed at the idea.

"Miss Hillary!" She pulled me further into the room, smiling. "You've known me long enough to know that dating really isn't my thing." I said.

"Hey, I was just inquiring! I wasn't sure if it was sort of like a Romeo and Juliet thing you were hiding from your mama." She explained. I thought about the idea. I suppose she was right about the hiding stuff from my mom part, but definitely not the star-crossed lovers part.

"Not now, probably not ever." I responded and she stuck out her bottom lip.

"Now, now. Don't say that. Someday, the right boy will come along and you'll never be able to imagine a time when you didn't want to be with him." I scrunched my nose in protest. I don't want nor need to be dependent on any boy. I could take care of myself just fine. Love was messy anyway, and my life was already much messier than it needed to be.

"Okay, so I replaced the white at the lower part of your dress with the blue like you wanted. First, I'd like to see how it fits. That's essential. From there, we'll see what you think. We can add or get rid of any parts that you would like to. Okay?" She asked. I nodded and she grabbed by dress from the hook it was on. I changed behind a divider and walked to the middle of the room for her to get a good look at me.

"It's a little tight in stomach, but I think that's because I just had a fairly large meal. The waist is a little loose." I noted. She nodded and pulled out her tape measure.

"Okay, what about the bust?" She asked.

"I think it's fine." I told her. She smiled at me and began measuring and asking about different aspects of the dress. I changed back into my normal clothes while she went to work on fixing my dress. I knew it would only take a few minutes, so I stayed and talked with her.

Miss Hillary was in her late 30's and was quite the chatterbox. I enjoyed her company and she always told the best stories. Before settling in Italy, she had traveled the world with her mate, Patrick, who had been my arithmetic and science tutor when I was younger.

We kept going back and forth between trying on the dress and fixing it until we both agreed that it was perfect. It had been a few hours, but it seemed to pass by very quickly. I thanked her and made my way to my room. As I made my way to my room, I ran into my dad in the base.

"Hey, Renesmee. Wait up!" I stopped as soon as I heard his voice and turned to wait for him. He walked over to me, smiling slightly. "I've been looking for you all day. Where have you been?" He asked.

"Well I was with Alice for a bit and then I had a dress fitting. Why? Was there a reason you were looking for me?" I asked. I could see Alice watching us out of the corner of my eye. My dad smirked.

"I was going to inquire about what happened with Alice earlier." He said and my heart sped up. I hope he didn't hear anything.

"What about it?" I asked. He looked over at Alice, who turned her head as if she hadn't been listening and watching and chuckled.

"I was just curious about what happened. She's hiding her thoughts." He told me. I smiled.

"Well, I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you." I said, jokingly. He narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, come on! I told you what Jordan was thinking earlier. You owe me." He said. I scoffed and placed my right hand over my heart.

"Oh, no. If anything you owe me for scarring me with that disturbing information." I said.

"I told you that you wouldn't want to know." He said, smirking.

"Well, you should have absolutely insisted." I crossed my arms and he rose his eyebrows.

"And had you go ask Jordan for yourself?" He challenged. He got me there. I let my arms fall and smiled.

"I'm still not telling you." I responded.

"I hate it when she blocks her thoughts from me. It always makes me think that she's up to something." He confessed. I smiled.

"Oh, no. You can't read her thoughts. How will you survive?" I teased him, sarcastically.

"Okay. Answer me this—How long is she going to be hiding her thoughts from me?" I shook my head.

"That I can answer truthfully! And I have absolutely no idea." I flashed a dazzling smile and he gave up.

* * *

I sat on the couch, staring at my phone. It currently read 11:59 pm. The rest of the Cullens were scattered around the base. I waited patiently, until my favorite song started playing from my phone and it read 12:00.

"Happy birthday, Nessie!" Alice exclaimed, leading the rest of the Cullens to join in. I smiled and laughed, standing up from my seat.

"Thank you, thank you, everyone." I responded, bowing to them. Every year, I'd stay up until 12 on the evening that led into my birthday. It was a tradition that had started when I was three and hadn't stopped.

Alice stood up from the love seat, where she was seated next to Jasper and walked over to where I was now standing. She looked at me in awe, as she had been doing all day, and pulled me into a hug.

"The big 100! I hope that this is the best birthday ever! You deserve it, Ness." She told me. I hugged her back and soon enough I was engulfed in a big bear hug.

"Emmett!" I cried. He laughed at me.

"It wouldn't be the best birthday ever without a hug from me, now would it?" He joked and swung me around as I laughed. "Happy birthday, Nessie!" He exclaimed. Soon enough, Rose and Esme came up and gave me hugs.

"Hugs all around!" Alice exclaimed. I could see what she was trying to do. She winked at me and I chuckled. Following Rosalie and Esme, Carlisle and Jasper came to give me hugs and wish me a happy birthday, saving the best for last.

I finished hugging Carlisle and looked at my dad, who was standing close by, with a smirk on his face. He had his arms crossed. I rose an eyebrow and he laughed. I held open my arms and he leaned in and hugged me. He was significantly taller than me, so he lifted me slightly by the waist so that my feet no longer touched the ground.

"Happy birthday, Princess." He whispered and set me back down on my feet. I could feel tears starting to gather in my eyes. This felt so natural—him hugging me and calling me Princess. I wished it never had to end. We both pulled away and when he saw my face, he became concerned.

"Are you okay, Renesmee?" He asked, fear in his voice. I nodded, wiping the stray tear that fell.

"Yeah, of course. It's just surreal turning a hundred, you know?" I lied and he calmed down a little. "It's actually really late. I'm sure the fact that I'm tired also has something to do with why I'm so overemotional." I chuckled and turned to everyone else.

"I think I'm heading to bed. Goodnight!" I said and passed by my father. I walked to my room and soon enough, there was a knock at my door. I opened it and without any delay, Alice walked in.

"Ness. That was so cute, I almost exploded!" She whisper yelled. I smiled.

"Thank you, Alice." I said, recognizing that without her sneaky little plan, none of that would have just happened. She smiled brilliantly.

"Don't mention it. I love watching how you and—" She stopped and lowered her voice. "—your dad interact." I smiled. "Speaking of which, you will either love me or hate me when you see what I have." She teased.

"It's not another gift is it?" I prayed it wasn't. She shook her head and opened her phone, handing it to me when she found what she was looking for. I looked down and saw a picture of me and my dad hugging from just a few minutes ago. It showed him smiling while he hugged me, my feet dangling above the ground. It was perfect.

"I love it!" I told her and she beamed.

"I was hoping you would. It's so cute!" She squealed. I blushed and she smiled at my blush.

"It felt so right, Alice… So natural." I admitted.

"You love him." She commented. I looked at her skeptically. "Oh, don't deny it, Ness. It's okay. He's your dad. You're supposed to love him. Don't be embarrassed."

"I barely know him, Alice." I commented.

"I know for a fact that isn't true, and even if it were, it wouldn't matter. You don't have to know him well. Even earlier this week when he was being a complete ass, you loved him." She told me. "Trust me on this. My husband's an empath." She said, smirking.

"What? Did Jasper tell you this?" I asked, suddenly worried.

"Oh, relax, Nessie. He knows it's not anything romantic. He can feel that you love him, but he interprets it as like a brotherly love. He doesn't suspect anything." She reassured me. I sighed. As worried as I was before about Alice finding out, I was really enjoying having someone to talk to.

I walked into my bathroom to brush my hair and my teeth while Alice remained in my bedroom, sitting on my bed. From the bathroom, I could hear my ringtone going off on my phone. I saw Alice pick up my phone and look at the caller ID. As soon as she saw it, she tossed it like a hot potato on my bed, gasping.

"What?" I asked her, chuckling at her reaction.

"I-It's Bella." She whispered. I shook my head.

"You've heard me talking to her on the phone before, Alice." I reminded her, walking toward my phone.

"Well, yeah, but I didn't know it was her before!" She rebutted. I smiled and answered my phone.

"Hello?"

" _Happy Birthday, Babygirl!_ " Her beautiful bell-like voice rang through the phone. I saw Alice sitting on my bed, with a hand over her mouth, preventing her from squealing. I chuckled.

"Thank you, Mama." I responded.

" _I'm so glad you're still up! I was so worried I wouldn't be able to call. It's only a little before 7 over here._ " She told me.

"Mom, you didn't have to go out of your way just to call. You could've called me in the morning." I said, smiling.

" _What? Are you kidding me? Staying up until your birthday comes is a tradition. I couldn't let a little distance get in the way of that—especially not on your hundredth birthday!_ " She sounded so excited. My heart swelled. I loved my mother so much. I wanted to see her so badly, yet I knew what would happen when she got home would tear me apart.

"Oh, lord. Don't remind me. I feel so _old_ " I told her, chuckling.

" _Well, no matter what, you will always be my little baby girl_." She cooed. I rolled my eyes. I wondered how true that statement would be next week.

"I love you, Mom." I told her, sighing.

" _I love you too, my precious Renesmee._ " She spoke softly. I missed hearing her voice all day every day. " _I can't wait until you see your surprise_ " She added. I became curious.

"Mama, as much as I love surprises, you can't leave me hanging like that." I told her. I heard her chuckle through the phone.

" _I guarantee it will be worth the wait, my dear._ " She promised. I sighed.

"Can't you give me a little clue?" I begged.

" _Nope, I guess you'll just have to see when I get home._ " She chuckled at herself and I grinned at her laugh.

"I should probably get to bed. I'm glad I got to talk to you, Mom. I love you." I told her.

" _Love you too, Princess!_ " We both hung up the phone. My heart swelled when she called me Princess. Both of my parents have a mutual term of endearment for me. I looked over at Alice who would have been crying if she was human.

"I think it's time for me to go. I've have witnessed beyond my share of tear-inducing sentimental moments today. Goodnight, Ness." She hugged me lightly and left the room.

As I laid in bed, I replayed everything that had happened today in my head. The strange thing about it though, was that I couldn't stop thinking about the surprise my mom had mentioned. For some reason, I spent more time thinking about the surprise than I did about the fact that my aunt knew of my true identity. I had to get my priorities straight.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Yay! Second update for this weekend!**

 **So Alice knows and she and Renesmee are starting to bond as niece and aunt. Nobody else knows yet, but as mentioned before, how long can that really last? Any predictions on who will find out next or when/how it will happen?**

 **Nessie and Edward hugged! I loved writing that part. I could just see it in my head. Even if Edward is oblivious, I still think it's adorable (:**

 **I really want to hear your thoughts about this chapter and/or your predictions for the upcoming chapters.** **Did you like the way Alice responded or do you think she should have been angrier that she had to put up with mopey dopey Edward for 100 years for no reason at all?**

 **ALSO—There's a new poll on my profile! So vote, vote, vote!**

 **Poll: How should Bella react when she initially finds out about the Cullens?**

 **1\. She is quiet and upset. She refuses to speak to Renesmee.**

 **2\. She is angry and yells at Renesmee.**

 **Vote on my profile or leave a review (or both) to let me know what you think.**

 **I am so pleased to say that with the addition of chapter 15, _Life Unexpected_ hit the 200 review mark! Yay! Thank you so much to all of you who have reviewed. You make me eager to sit down and write (: **

**The goal for this chapter is to hit** **230 reviews** **! I feel that is a very attainable goal and I know for a fact you'll all enjoy the next chapter(s depending how its split up). This week will be hectic, but I will make sure that there's an update by next Sunday at the latest. I could definitely use the motivation though.**

 **Also, a big thank you to everyone who has favorited and alerted. You have not gone unnoticed and I thank you for your support!**

 **Until next time, Taylor**

 **~PM or review with any questions**


	17. Preparations

Renesmee's POV-

The light shining through my window and through my eyelids was enough to give me a headache. I rolled over onto my stomach, pushing my face into my pillow for a few seconds. I knew I couldn't stay like that for very long. Unfortunately, I still needed to breathe oxygen every so often, so I was forced to turn back over after a few seconds.

I heard a light knock on my door. I didn't know who it was, but I softly said that they could come in. I heard the door open, and a familiar chuckle escape the lips of my guest. I kept my eyes closed, not bothering to see who it was. I felt the side of my mattress drop slightly as they sat down.

"I must say, I'm surprised to see you still sleeping. I was under the impression that you were a morning person." I heard Rosalie speak. I still didn't know what time it was. I figured it couldn't be later than like 8 o'clock. I slowly opened my eyes, allowing the blinding sun to temporarily render me blind, and sat up a little.

I didn't respond to her statement. Rather, I let out a tired yawn and looked for my phone. It was sitting on my bedside table and I grabbed it. When I turned it on, the first thing I saw were the large numbers across the top of my screen. 10:14 it read and I could feel my eyes widen.

"Oh wow! I had no idea it was so late." I told her honestly. She smiled at me.

"Long day yesterday?" She asked me and I tried to recall. The memories flooded my mind quickly—Alice finding my pictures, explaining my story to her, my dress fitting, my dad getting suspicious, and the phone call with my mom. To say it had been a long day would be an understatement.

"I guess you could say so." I told her. Once again, she was smiling at me, but it seemed as if in a single moment, her smile went to a worried expression. "Are you okay, Rosalie?" I asked, concerned. She nodded and gave me a small smile.

"What? Oh, yeah. I'm fine. I just…I thought I heard something." She said, quietly. I couldn't imagine what it was. I hadn't heard anything.

"Such as?" I pushed. She looked at me sheepishly, which kind of threw me off. She was so beautiful that it was odd seeing her look embarrassed.

"A scream." She said and I understood. Thankfully with my limited hearing, I couldn't hear my family feeding in the throne room.

"Oh." I responded.

"Sorry. It just threw me off. Aro told me to come tell you to stay in your room. I figured that that meant that you wouldn't be able to hear it from here." She added.

"Actually, I can't since my hearing isn't as strong as a typical vampire's." I explained.

"Oh, that's right. I forgot that little detail." She chuckled to herself. "You were almost as quick as Edward when we were hunting the other day, it must have slipped my mind that your other senses aren't as developed as a _full_ vampire." The way she said full vampire almost made me laugh. It was obviously new for her talking about the concept of a half and full vampire, so she was trying to choose her words carefully.

"Yeah, I don't know why my speed hasn't really been affected as much by my human side. Everything else definitely has—my hearing, sight, smell, strength, bloodlust—although I'm kind of thankful for that one." I joked.

"Yeah, I'm sure." She responded, smiling. "I feel like such a hypocrite sometimes. The thought of what is going on out there absolutely appalls me, yet a good part of me has to fight not to go out there and join them." She admitted.

"I can only imagine." I said, shaking my head. "It doesn't happen often, but sometimes when I don't go hunting for a while, I get that urge too. It's not as strong, I'm sure, but it's there." I told her. She looked at me surprised by my confession. "It's sickening to think that a part of me is craving a living being's blood when I myself have human blood running through my own veins." I added.

"I was actually thinking about that since we got here. How did you and your mother get introduced to drinking animal blood?" She asked.

"Well, I know for my mother, she was always appalled by the idea of drinking human blood after she had me. As for myself, I just hate the idea that I'd be drinking from humans because that's half of who I am." I vaguely replied.

"How did you two come across the alternative though? I know that if Carlisle hadn't been there after I was changed to introduce me to animal blood, I probably never would have even considered any alternatives." She explained. Oh, lord. How do I get myself out of this one?

"My dad actually was the one who told my mom about it. He hadn't known she'd become a vampire, but he mentioned it anyway." I admitted. She looked intrigued.

"Were your parents dating before they had you?" She asked me. I became worried. If I said they had dated, she'd become suspicious. I mean, how rare is it that a vampire and a human date, especially if said vampire was believed to drink human blood, which she'd ask about. Then, if I told her he had drank from animals, she'd become even more suspicious because 'vegetarian' vampires were extremely few and far between. I can't lie though!

"I believe so. My mom doesn't talk about it much, but she knew that he was a vampire and she knew how to find her way here, which doesn't seem like information you'd tell just anyone." I told her.

"No, of course not." She agreed. "This is all very new, I just would like to know as much as possible." She spoke. She turned her head, to take a look at the rest of my room. When her eyes saw my dress hanging in the corner of my room, she immediately forgot the topic we had just been discussing (thankfully).

"Ooh! Is that your ball gown?" She asked and I nodded, smiling. "Can I take a peek?" She looked so excited that I couldn't refuse her. She sped across the room and looked at it thoroughly. "It looks great, Ness! I'll admit. I wasn't so sure how the blue would look when you first mentioned it, but this is amazing!" She told me.

"Thank you!" I replied.

"I almost forgot. Alice and I insist that you let us do your hair and makeup for tonight…unless you already have your own personal makeup artist." She added. I raised and eyebrow and she smiled, putting my dress away. "What? You have your own tailor! I wasn't sure." She defended.

"I'd love for you and Alice to do my hair and makeup. I just ask that you don't go too overboard. I want to be recognizable at my own party." I told her. She smiled.

"I promise, but Alice is a different story. She does her own thing." Rosalie joked. "I believe they're finished in the throne room if you are hungry for breakfast." I looked at my phone again and saw the time.

"More like lunch at this hour."

* * *

After Rosalie left the room, I quickly got ready, wearing the outfit Alice had picked out for me and placed at the front of my closet. It was a pair of high-waisted patterned black shorts and a sparkly golden blouse with a black blazer. I substituted the black pumps she'd picked out for a practical pair of nice black combat boots, and added a few pieces of jewelry.

I was able to survive lunch without running into Jordan and the Denali's. I felt bad for absentmindedly associating my bad feelings about Jordan to the rest of them, but I couldn't help myself.

After lunch, even more guests were arriving for my ball. I helped out with decorating the ball room/throne room so we would be finished decorating sooner and because it would have been annoying to keep walking back and forth between my bedroom and the throne room when more people arrived.

We had been working on the decorations for a while now and everything was seeming to come together perfectly. The color scheme I'd decided on incorporated the colors black, white, grey, and blue, so everything was found in one of those four colors. There were abundant amounts of balloons, streamers, and paper lanterns lining the walls and ceiling. Alice had came in to help a while after I started, although I insisted that she didn't have to help, and had helped to line the walls with fairy lights. Rosalie, Emmett, and my dad also came to help out, and they worked on assembling an area for a photo booth.

I could hear more guests making their way down the hall leading to the throne room, so I hopped down from the ladder I was on and asked Alice to take my spot, helping Alec to put up a banner.

I made my way over to greet them, as I usually did. I couldn't help but notice that every time I went to introduce myself to the new guests, Alice and my father's eyes would follow me, watching me carefully. I'm sure my father was also trying to read everyone's minds as well to make sure there weren't anymore sleazeballs like Jordan.

Around the time the last of the guests came, everyone was almost finished with the decorations. I was about to offer to show our guests around the castle when Aro suggested that Heidi take them instead so that I may begin getting ready.

"Aro there's still three hours until the ball starts." I told him. I saw Alice skip to my side and begin pulling me.

"I know we're already pushing it! We must begin soon, Ness." Alice responded for him pulling me away with Rosalie.

"We have everything covered in here. Now, go get ready, my dear." Aro told me, right before I was pulled out of the room. I sighed.

"I can walk on my own you know." I told the two girls holding onto me. They both chuckled and lead me to my room, immediately sitting me in front of my vanity. Rosalie showed Alice my dress, and they immediately began doing my hair.

I don't even know how long it took for them to finish. They were really going all out! They curled all of my hair before beginning on the updo they had planned. When they were done, it was half-up, half-down and there were two large braids that swept the side of my head and led into my ponytail. They had also taken the time to add an assortment of small white flower pins that were surrounded by small diamonds all throughout the sides and back of my hair. It was truly beautiful!

They then proceeded to do my makeup. Rosalie and I informed Alice of my desire to have a natural look, and thankfully she agreed quickly. It didn't take near as much time to do my makeup as it did to do my hair, and I was thankful, not knowing how much longer I could sit in this stupid chair.

"Okay. We're going to go get ready now. It should only take about fifteen minutes. In the meantime, you get dressed in your ball gown, and when we get back, we'll do any finishing touches!" Alice beamed. She and Rosalie exited quickly and I didn't hesitate to start getting dressed. I put on my gown and was overjoyed when I realized I had opted for a gown with no annoying zipper in the back. I looked at myself in the mirror, admiring how well Alice and Rose had done with my look.

Soon enough, Alice came back into the room in her gown, looking radiant. I expected Rosalie to be right behind her, but Alice closed the door behind her as soon as she came in.

"Where's Rose?" I asked.

"She went to make sure Emmett was actually getting ready. I told her I'd check on you." She answered and I smiled. "You look stunning, Renesmee." She told me and I blushed, turning away so she wouldn't see. "You're mom used to do the same thing when I told her she was beautiful." She chuckled. "She'd blush like crazy and hide her face in Ed—you're father." Her smile seemed to fade a bit.

"What's wrong, Ali?" I asked her. She shook her head.

"I can't help but wonder what will happen after tonight." She told me. I knew what she was referring to. "We'll have to leave, but then what? Ness, now that I know that I'm an aunt and my best friend is alive— I can't leave you guys. I don't think I could possibly bring myself to make that mistake again." She said, honestly. I could hear the heartbreak in her words. I wondered what she meant about again. I was going to ask before she pulled me into a hug, carefully avoiding messing up my dress or hair.

"The past hundred years hasn't been easy for any of us, so I can't even imagine how hard it must have been for you and Bella." She looked extremely sad while she said this. "I just want you to know that from now until forever, you have us—both you and Bella." I smiled, blinking back the tears in my eyes. She pulled away and held my hands in hers. "I love you, Renesmee. In fact, all of us do, whether they realize or not." I froze, replaying the words she had just said in my mind. Before I realized what I was doing I threw my arms around her and pulled her into a hug.

"I love you too, Aunt Alice."

 **Author's Note:**

 **Sorry, this was more of a filler chapter. The next chapter is the ball. I apologize in advance. This week I have a gigantic research essay to write, so I don't know that I'll be able to update next Sunday (I'm sorry! Don't kill me! Senior year is ROUGH).**

 **I hope you still enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Leave any predictions or questions in a review. I love reading your reviews! I think a good goal for this chapter would be to get to 255 reviews.**

 **Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and alerted! You're amazing!**

 **Until next time, Taylor**


	18. Surprise

**Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to the brilliant Stephenie Meyer.**

Renesmee's POV:

I walked excitedly down the hall toward the ballroom with Alice. Before we even got to the ballroom, I could hear the sounds of music and people laughing. Fashionably late to my own ball, of course.

I was going to go through the main set of doors that I always entered through, but Alice ushered me toward one of the other sets, specifically the one that would draw the most attention to my entrance. I didn't put up a fight. I walked into the ballroom and toward where the rest of the people were at. A few of the various vampires in the room saw me, and the others looked my way when Marcus announced my arrival. I unintentionally blushed and allowed Alice to guide me toward where Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett were standing.

"There's the birthday girl!" Emmett shouted over the music although I could hear him just fine. Alice walked over to Jasper's side and kissed his cheek. He looked down at her adoringly and then looked back up at me.

"You look very nice, Renesmee." He told me and I smiled.

"As do all of you." I responded. As Alice pulled Jasper to the dance floor, I looked around trying to find my father. It didn't take too long. His shiny copper hair caught my eye from the corner. He was standing with Carlisle and Esme who were currently speaking to Irina and Laurent. He looked angry and I followed his gaze to Jordan. I chuckled which made my father turn in my direction. Our eyes met and he smiled at me. I smiled back and raised my eyebrows, glancing over at Jordan and then back at my dad. He rolled his eyes and shook his head, chuckling.

"Hey, Ness! Come dance with us." Emmett once again shouted. I followed he and Rosalie to the dance floor where we found Alice and Jasper. The music was fast paced so we all danced together. So as to not be a rude hostess, I also tried to dance with a handful of other people.

Everybody seemed to be having a really great time. After about two hours of dancing and mingling I decided to take a break. It was around this time that a small cake was brought out for me, courtesy of Esme, who insisted that it wasn't a real birthday party without a cake, even if I was the only one who would eat it. Everybody sang happy birthday to me while I stood awkwardly with my beautiful cake.

I looked over at Alice and the rest of the Cullens that were standing with her. She had her hands clasped as she swayed back and forth in Jasper's arms, singing. Emmett was shouting the lyrics to the song while Rosalie tried to sing through her chuckles. Esme and Carlisle smiled at me as they sang and my father looked bashful as he sang quietly, and beautifully, I'll add.

Everybody clapped when the song was over and the music started playing again. Immediately, I was swarmed by the Cullens, all insisting that I open their gifts immediately. I knew that there was no getting around it so I gave in. I was handed two small boxes, and relief began to wash over me.

"This one is from Carlisle and I. We hope you like it, dear." Esme told me, pointing to one of the boxes. I opened it hesitantly. When I opened it, there were two thin pieces of paper. "They're plane tickets. Redeemable for wherever you'd like. We got you four, two for you and two for your mother. We simply ask that you use two to come visit us sometime." She explained. I looked at Alice who looked guilty.

"Thank you both. I can't wait!" I told them excitedly, even though I knew in my head that if there were ever a situation when my mom would be using a plane ticket to go find them, it would not be a happy situation.

Next I opened Emmett and Rosalie's gift. It was very light and I took my time opening it. When I finally opened the small box, there was a photo. It was of a keyboard piano.

"Surprise! We know how much you love to play the piano, so we got you a keyboard. I know it's not the same as a real piano, which we totally would have gotten you weren't so against us spending money on you but we hope you'll like it! I already set it up in your room while you were dancing!" Emmett beamed. Once again I looked at Alice who looked even guiltier. My mom was going to flip this whole castle.

"Thank you guys! It's perfect." I said with a forced smile, hugging both Emmett and Rosalie. After the opening of my new, expensive, controversial gifts, Alice pulled me aside to explain.

"Don't kill me! We went shopping for your gifts right before I found out. I knew about the keyboard because Rosalie told me, but I didn't know about the plane tickets. How mad is Bella going to be?" Alice spoke quickly. I shrugged.

"I have no idea. I think I'll hide the keyboard in the tower with Sulpicia and Athenadora. They've never been able to hear me play, so I think they'll be fine with it. As for the plane tickets, I haven't the slightest clue. I don't think she'll agree to go see you guys just yet—no offense." I explained. She looked upset at the thought that Mom wouldn't want to see her, but quickly replaced her frown with a smile, probably so she wouldn't make me upset too.

"I understand." She responded simply. I noticed that the music changed so that it was now slow music. The dance floor cleared up a bit and couples began dancing together. I noticed Jasper making his way over to us.

"Excuse me for interrupting, but would you mind if I stole my wife away for just a few minutes?" He asked. I smiled and nodded. Alice began skipping toward the dance floor, pulling him along with her. It's adorable how in love they are. I wonder if my parents were ever that in love.

The thought made me happy and sad at the same time. I imagine they were. When Alice spoke about how broken my dad was in response to her death, it made me think that they probably acted similarly to Alice and Jasper. I wasn't certain though. My mom wasn't really one that liked to show an excessive amount of emotion, and my dad didn't really strike me as one to wear his emotions on his sleeve either.

Even if they didn't show their love like Alice and Jasper did, I knew they had to have been pretty in love, and the idea made me smile a bit. I imagined it. I could see them walking hand in hand on a beach. Neither of them would speak, but the silence between them would be comfortable. Mom would stumble (because apparently when she was human she was super clumsy), and Dad would catch her just like he had when I ran into him before. Then Mom would blush and Dad would make one of his clever comments that he seemed to have an endless supply of and Mom would blush and smile or hide her face in his shirt, smacking his chest playfully.

Soon enough the sadness began to flood into me. I knew that my daydreaming was simply that—a dream. That would never happen, not now at least. Mom is so damn stubborn. She thinks she knows what is best for me all the time, and I'll admit a lot of the time she does, but she's not always right. This time, she was wrong about the Cullens. She'd never see that though.

I was pulled from my thoughts when I noticed a cool hand pull my warm one into theirs. I looked up to see Jordan facing me. I didn't even notice him approaching.

"Do you think I could have that dance now?" He asked, smirking. The feel of his hand in mine in combination with the look on his face was nothing less than nauseating. I swallowed and he sensed my hesitation. "C'mon, Princess. It's just one dance. I promise I don't bite." He said and shot me what was supposed to be a dazzling smile. I didn't like the way it felt when he called me Princess. That was my dad's nickname for me and it upset me that Jordan was ruining it. I finally accepted my fate and allowed him to lead me to the dance floor. I doubted he would let me off the hook so easily and I just wanted to get this over with.

He pulled me to the middle of the dance floor and I could see my dad glaring at him from his spot against the wall, sulking just like he said he would be. I caught his gaze and he looked questionably at me. I gave him a look that made it clear that this wasn't my idea.

Jordan pulled me close to him, much closer than I would have liked, and we began dancing. He wasn't a bad dancer, but the fact that he was holding me so close and I had a pretty good clue what he was thinking made the experience unenjoyable. I tried to focus on my surroundings rather than the boy gripping my waist. I saw that a couple others were staring at us in awe and I was once again filled with disgust. I just wanted this to end. I looked over at my dad once again and he was still watching us.

I began listening to the music and noticed that it was a different song than the one that had been playing when we first started dancing. Little asshole. I began to pull away but his grip on my waist tightened.

"Where are you going, Princess?" He asked nicely. I knew better though.

"I thought you said one dance." I responded.

"I thought you said there was nothing going on between you and Edward." He rebutted. I fought the urge to choke him and responded politely.

"I did and there isn't." I replied simply.

"Well maybe you should tell him because he keeps glaring at me." He chuckled, but I didn't.

"He's just looking out for me." I responded. Jordan raised an eyebrow at me and smirked.

"Looks more to me like he's jealous." He smirked. He was really starting to piss me off now.

"I don't see why that would be. There's clearly nothing to be jealous of." I replied, anger starting to slip through my voice. I took in Jordan's expression which seemed to be a little wounded. He quickly recovered and once again a stupid cocky expression covered his face.

"So that's it?" He asked. I was confused.

"What?" I asked.

"You're not even going to give me a chance?" He asked. I began to feel a little bad for him before I remembered who exactly I was thinking about. I shook my head.

"Sorry." I told him. He looked over at where my dad had been standing a moment ago, although he seemed to have disappeared.

"Is it because of Edward?" He asked.

"Not in the way you think." I replied honestly. He looked at me oddly and then looked past me, rolling his eyes.

"Mind if I steal her away from you?" My father asked trying to hide the smirk on his face at Jordan's annoyed expression.

"Do I really have a choice?" He half mumbled, looking at me. My facial expression must have answered his question and he let go of my waist, walking away annoyed. My father was quick to take his place, except that he was well acquainted with the concept of personal space unlike Jordan.

"What took you so long? I was dying out here." I joked. He smiled at me.

"That's my version of revenge since you won't tell me why Alice is hiding her thoughts." He told me. I shook my head. "She's singing this song in Japanese right now in her head. Please help me." He half pleaded.

"No can do, Mr. Cullen. You're just going to have to be patient." I told him.

"How much longer will you two be testing my patience? We leave in a few hours." He said. I could feel my face fall and my throat tighten at his words. I knew they were leaving, but hearing it coming from him made was like a punch in the gut. The reality of the situation was harsher than I imagined it would be. "I'm sorry, Princess." He said when he noticed my expression.

"What? No, don't be. It's fine. I knew you guys wouldn't be staying forever. It was nice having…friends outside of just my family here." I explained.

"I understand completely." He responded, smiling down at me. I blushed a bit. "You know, I don't think I had the opportunity to tell you how breathtaking you look tonight." I chuckled.

"Why, thank you. You look quite dashing yourself." I told him. He seemed to be surprised by my reaction.

"Okay, whatever you say." He responded and we danced some more.

"You know, I was starting to think that I smelled or something with the way you've been keeping your distance from me tonight." I said bluntly. He chuckled.

"Are you saying that you didn't enjoy our thrilling eye conversations?" He joked.

"Don't get me wrong, I did. However, this is much better." I told him honestly. I looked at him and noticed him staring at me with a smile on his face.

"You know, you're really extraordinary, Renesmee." He told me. I blushed a deep shade of red. His smile dropped a bit as his cold hand stroked the blush on my cheek.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" His eyes rose from my cheeks to my eyes and he grinned crookedly.

"I suppose." He answered and I took a deep breath.

"Why did you hate me so much when you first got here?" He looked surprised by my question and thought for a few seconds before shaking his head.

"It's complicated, Renesmee." He told me.

"It doesn't have to be. Whatever you tell me, I won't get mad. I promise." He smiled a bit at me. He was silent for a couple seconds.

"You reminded me of my mate." He said simply and I listened intently, hoping he would continue. "Her eyes were the same shade of chocolate brown as yours…and you have the same heart shaped face. Even your blush reminds me so much of her." I was trying to control my breathing. He didn't seem suspicious, but it was still intense listening to my father talk so endearingly about my mom.

"I thought you didn't like me because you couldn't read my mind." I replied. He grinned crookedly.

"Well that too. You two are the only ones I've ever come across that I can't read." He explained and I nodded. "I'm so sorry, Renesmee." He whispered. I looked at his face which seemed pained.

"Why?" I inquired.

"I was so angry with you for reminding me of her that I was an ass before getting to know you. I shouldn't have taken it out on you." He said sincerely. I smiled at him.

"All is forgiven." I told him. "I guess I should apologize too for making you so upset with my appearance." I told him, seriously. He chuckled.

"You can't control how you look. I just overreacted." I sighed deeply. "I can't even begin to explain how much I miss her." My heart started to race. These were the words I was looking for! He misses her. He still loves her. I know for a fact that Mom still loves him. If only she weren't so damn stubborn! "Are you alright, Renesmee?" He asked me.

"What? Of course! Please continue." I said and he rose an eyebrow at me.

"You're acting strange." He pointed out.

"Am not!" I defended myself. "Go on…" He half smiled at me and twirled me around. I laughed.

"I'm not sure I believe you, but her name was…" He looked up at me, but I saw his eyes travel past me. Immediately, he let out a sharp intake of breath and glancing at his face, it looked like he'd just been kicked in the gut. "Bella?" He whispered, finishing his sentence. It only took me half a second to understand why he would have finished his sentence with such uncertainty.

I turned around and followed his gaze. Standing before us, in the place where the brothers' thrones normally were, was my mother. She was looking directly at us. Her face remained composed, but I could see through her eyes that she was shattered. I could feel my father's hold on me loosen, but I didn't turn to face him. I kept my eyes trained on my mom. After a second, her facade changed and I could see the hurt in her perfect golden eyes.

"Surprise." She whispered although I could hear her just fine. With just that simple word, my whole world came crashing down. Tears flooded my eyes and I thought I was going to fall as I pulled away from my father. She immediately turned and began walking out of the ballroom and I intended to run after her but I felt a cold hand wrap around my wrist.

I turned and saw an unreadable look in my father's eyes. It was his hand that was wrapped around my wrist. I quickly forced it out of his grip, thoughts of my mom filling my head, and ran after my mother, leaving him dumbfounded.

 **Author's Note:**

 **So there you have it—Bella's back!**

 **I hope everyone is happy with this update. I've been working nonstop all week on my research essay, so I'd be able to get this chapter up for you all.**

 **This is a monumental chapter, in addition to the fact that I had to work my butt off to get it written in time, so I hope you'll be kind and review! I think 295 reviews is an attainable goal for this chapter.**

 **Leave your thoughts on this chapter and predictions!**

 **As always, thanks to everyone who has favorited, alerted, and reviewed on this story! You are amazing (:**

 **Until next time, Taylor**

***Review or PM any questions


	19. Making Sense

Edward's POV-

I looked down at the beautiful girl standing in front of me in awe. A deep blush spread across her cheeks at whatever words had just come out of my mouth. My smile faded a bit as a memory of my beautiful Bella danced through my head. I stroked her blush making it even darker.

She continued our conversation by posing the question of why I had hated her when we first got here and my heart sank—both remembering exactly why it was that I didn't like her and because of the regret I felt for acting so horribly toward her. I made a futile attempt at trying to avoid answering before I looked down into her large brown eyes, the ones that looked so impossibly identical to Bella's, and opened up.

I told her about my lost love and how much Renesmee resembled her. It had gotten easier throughout the week, but it still stung my heart every time she blushed, or when I got a good look at her eyes, or when she wouldn't share her thoughts with me. Aside from Bella, I'd never known anyone who could bring so much happiness and sadness to my heart with a simple look.

I apologized for being such an ass, which she obviously tried to play off as nothing. She was so kind too, just like Bella. She even apologized for appearing the way she did! It reminded me of the numerous times Bella had apologized for not being able to share her thoughts with me. The memory made me miss her even more.

As I continued to explain, I could heart Renesmee's heart start to race. I looked down at her and she looked like she was about to burst with anticipation. I chuckled.

"Are you alright, Renesmee?" I could see her consciously trying to come off as more relaxed although she didn't succeed very well.

She told me to continue, but I knew something was going on. She was so jittery, like she could cartwheel around the castle. I chuckled at her excitement. She was obviously really invested in my story. It was nice being able to talk about my Bella, as much as it hurt to do so. I wasn't able to talk with my family about her much anymore. They knew as well as I did that my suffering was my own fault. They didn't understand.

"I'm not sure I believe you, but her name was…" I began. I could hear footsteps approaching from where the thrones normally were but I couldn't hear a single thought coming from the direction. I looked past Renesmee and couldn't believe the sight that was in front of me.

"Bella?" I whispered. There she was, standing not fifty feet away from me. It was undoubtedly her. She had the same heart shaped face and almond shaped eyes. Her hair was longer and a shade darker than I remembered. It seemed as if she had barely changed at all since I had last seen her. Her facial features were a bit sharper, and her beautiful blush that I had once been so fond of was nowhere to be found.

From the corner of my eye I saw Renesmee whip her head around to look at the goddess standing across the room. Bella was looking in my direction and I thought my cold dead heart may just start beating again. She looked so beautiful, not that she wasn't extraordinarily gorgeous when she was human. _When she was human._ I repeated in my head. I never thought I'd be happier that my plans didn't work out as I had previously hoped.

I loosened my hold on Renesmee, not thinking about how tight it must have been before. I couldn't bring myself to look away from my lost love, afraid she may disappear. It could have been an hour or a few seconds that we were both standing there. I honestly had no idea. I was going to excuse myself from Renesmee and go to her when I saw her lips part ever so slightly and a single word escaped her lips.

"Surprise." She whispered. Her voice was like bells, so enchanting. I processed her words. I was definitely surprised to say the least. Her face when she said it was so broken though that I couldn't even smile at how happy I was to see her again.

I looked down at Renesmee when I heard her heart start to race even faster than it had before. I could see tears filling her eyes and rushing down her cheeks, and I began to reconsider the situation in front of me. Hold on…Would it be possible that Bella wasn't looking or talking to me at all? Could it be that she was talking to…Renesmee?

My question was answered when Renesmee started to pull away from me to head in the direction of Bella, who was now fleeing from the room. I quickly grabbed her wrist, intending to ask her what was going on, but she pushed my hand off of her.

In that moment, a clear vision filled my head.

I could see what I assumed was Renesmee standing in front of a mirror. She physically looked to be about four years old. Her face seemed pretty much the same except for the fact that her brown eyes appeared to be even bigger on her small face. She wore a purple dress and appeared to be struggling to brush the back of her long curly hair. She eventually gave up, tossing the brush on her bed, and began running into the hallway.

"Mommy!" She shouted, running down the hall of the east wing in the castle. As she ran farther down the hallway, only slightly faster than a human pace, the sound of sobbing grew increasingly louder. Renesmee either didn't notice or didn't care enough to take the sound into consideration. She ran up to a large door and didn't hesitate to turn the handle, bursting in.

On a small white bed with a golden comforter sat a woman, although her hands were covering her face. Renesmee ran up to the woman, immediately wrapping her arms around her neck. The woman immediately moved her hands from her face to hold Renesmee, and my heart sank at the sight of my Bella.

"Mommy, why are you crying?" Renesmee asked. I could feel her sadness radiating throughout me. Bella looked down at the child in her lap, stroking a piece of hair away from Renesmee's face.

"I just can't believe it's your birthday already. My baby isn't a baby anymore." Bella told her. I could see in her face that she was lying, but Renesmee didn't seem to notice at that point.

"Aww, Mommy. Don't be sad." Nessie said, this time she was the one to brush hair out of Bella's face. Bella smiled a bit and my heart sung. "I know that I grow quick, but I promise I'll always be your baby." She put her head on Bella's shoulder and hugged her.

"I don't know what I'd do without you, Renesmee. I love you more than anything in the world." She whispered. Renesmee pulled away from Bella, kissing her cheek.

"I love you too, Mommy. It's you and me against the world…forever." She spoke. The vision abruptly ended as Renesmee's skin left my arm. I was too in shock to chase her as she ran after her…mother. Bella's her mother. Everything immediately started to click into place. It suddenly made sense why her eyes and face were so similar to Bella's. She inherited them from her! It was understandable why I couldn't read her mind. Renesmee did say a shield was watching over her—that must have been Bella! It made perfect sense why it would be. Why hadn't I realized it before?! Oh my god—the phone call! It was Bella. I had spoken to the love of my life and I didn't even realize it.

Suddenly the realization hit me like a wrecking ball. It made sense why my family and I were all invited here days before anybody else was. It made sense why Renesmee was so insistent on spending time with us. It made sense why the two of us had an unexplainable connection. It made sense why she was practically on top of me trying to get her phone back when Bella called. It made sense why every time she spoke of her mother, she felt scared and guilty. It made sense why her hair was the same exact shade of coppery bronze as mine and her lips resembled my own. If someone had told me earlier this week that I was a father, I would have scoffed at them…but now everything made sense.

Now I was here standing alone as I watched my daughter crying her eyes out as she chased after her mother.

 _Oh god, what have I done?_

* * *

Renesmee's POV-

I ran as quickly as possible after my mom, pushing past several of my guests, which hurt like hell. They were all basically gigantic boulders. Emmett and Rosalie seemed to be the only ones perceptive enough to actually move out of my way before I ran into them. I could tell from their facial expressions that they hadn't seen my mom. They seemed oblivious.

I finally made my way to where my mom had once been standing and sprinted for the doors. It had taken me much longer than I anticipated to make my way through the crowd of people, and by the time my mom was in my sight, she was already almost to her room.

"Mom! Please stop! Can we talk, please?" I begged her. She shook her head and kept on walking. Her long brown hair swung back and forth as she walked, and I couldn't see her face. "Mom?" I whispered.

"Don't follow me, Renesmee." She said in a monotone voice. I didn't listen.

"Mom, I'm so incredibly sorry! Please let me explain." I pleaded. She made it to her room and entered. I followed her, closing the door behind us.

"I don't think that's a good idea." She told me softly. I could hear the pain in her voice and a fresh set of tears escaped my eyes.

"Listen, I know that you're upset, but—" I started, but she interrupted.

"Please don't." She made her way over to her small white bed that she only had for the times that I fell asleep in her room. She laid down on her back and stared at the ceiling. Her eyes were filled with sadness and disappointment.

"I didn't mean for you to find out that way." I said quietly. She didn't respond and I took a step closer to her bed. "I know you may not believe me, but I swear I was going to tell you when you got home." I admitted.. Again, she said nothing. I took another few steps toward her. "Mom, please say something." I begged. I didn't try to stop my tears. I knew it'd be pointless.

"What do you want me to say?" She asked calmly. She sounded so…broken. I sighed and gathered up my voice.

"I don't know. Tell me that I'm stupid…that I had no idea what I was doing. Tell me that you're disappointed in me. Tell me that you're angry. Tell me that I'm grounded forever. Scream at me! Just please say something." I looked at her once more. She was still staring at the ceiling, but her calm facade was slipping. I could see her anger beneath the surface. I sat down near her legs on the bed, waiting for her to respond. Still, she remained silent. "Mom…" I said, going to grab her hand, but she quickly turned so that her back was facing me.

I looked down at my hands, sadness and regret crashing over me. This was far worse than anything I could have ever anticipated. She wouldn't touch me. She wouldn't talk to me. She wouldn't even look at me. A sob escaped me and I bit my lip hard in order to prevent more ugly sounds from coming from me. I sat there for another thirty seconds before I felt I could speak again.

"Please don't shut me out." My voice broke, and another sob escaped. I looked over at my mom and I heard her sigh.

"I think you should go now." She spoke softly. I recognized that staying would only make the situation worse, so I stood up slowly and made my way to the door, closing it behind me as I left.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Many of you voted in my poll that you wanted to see Bella quiet and refusing to speak to Renesmee rather than screaming at her, so here you go!**

 **I was really hoping to make this chapter longer, but I didn't think the quality would be as good if I tried to force it.**

 **Next chapter is part 3 of the ball, so make your predictions. What else could possibly happen?!**

 **Major THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed (faved & alerted too of course) last chapter. Last chapter hit 50 reviews! It is so amazing to know that you all actually enjoy what I write, and I love your predictions & comments. I read and reread them several times every week, and they always make me so happy! This chapter's magic number is 335 *crosses fingers*.**

 **With that being said, I doubt I even need to say this, but please review. As I said, I live off of your feedback! If you don't know what to write, consider these questions…**

 **1\. Is Bella being too tame with Renesmee? Do you think she should flip out?**

 **2\. How do you want Edward to respond now that he knows?**

 **3\. Emmett and Rose didn't see Bella. Do you think the rest of the Cullens did? If they did, how should they react? If not, how do you want them to find out/react?**

***PM with questions. Sometimes I don't respond to questions in reviews because I'm not sure if it's a serious question someone wants me to answer. I'll gladly respond if you make it clear though. I can't answer anon reviews, but I appreciate them anyway!


	20. War of Words

Edward's POV-

I watched as Renesmee fled from the room. Everything in me was screaming at my brain to chase after her, but my feet wouldn't move. I think I was still in shock. I was completely aware of everything going on around me, but my body was as still as a statue. I couldn't break out of my thoughts.

I watched as Rosalie and Emmett made their way over to me with confused looks on their faces and even more confused thoughts. They hadn't seen Bella, but Renesmee ran into them as she was fleeing from the room. I could hear Alice, Jasper, Carlisle, and Esme coming my way and their thoughts grew increasingly louder as they approached. With the exception of Alice, who was still hiding her thoughts, they had all seen Bella, and wanted to make sure I was okay. They hadn't seen Renesmee chase after Bella, so as of now they didn't suspect anything.

I cursed myself as I still couldn't find the strength to move. I need to go after them. Bella needs to know that I still love her. I hoped she hadn't moved on. I don't know that I could deal with anyone else taking my place as her love, or being a father for Renesmee. A sudden pain shot through me at the thought. I had left Bella all alone in this. It's been a hundred years that I've been a father and it wasn't until today that I realized it. For a hundred years, Bella has had to raise our daughter by herself.

"Edward—" I heard Carlisle begin to speak. He was going to ask if I was okay, but Emmett cut him off.

"Did anyone else catch that? Ness nearly bulldozed Rosie and I." He said. I felt a pang of sadness course through me, earning me an odd look from Jasper. He was starting to piece the story together. I watched as Alice grabbed his arm and laid her head on him. I could tell through Jasper's thoughts that she felt guilty.

"Edward, what's going on?" Esme asked me. She was scared. I didn't need to read Jasper's thoughts to understand that. I could sense the tension all around me. I heard as Jasper figured out that Renesmee was mine and Bella's daughter and gave me a worried and sympathetic look.

"Son, I know this must be a shock for you, believe me, it's a shock for all of us too. Share with us what you're thinking. We're here for you." Carlisle told me. If only he knew, although I'm sure he'll find out soon enough.

"I'm confused." Emmett admitted. _What's new?_

"Now, I'm a little worried. What did we miss?" Rosalie asked to nobody in particular. I still hadn't said a word. How do I go about explaining any of this? How would they react? I'm sure Esme and Carlisle would be happy. Jasper and Alice as well. Rosalie would be pissed at me. She's always wanted a child to look after. If it weren't for the possibility that Renesmee could get mad at her, I'm sure she'd rip my head off. I'm sure Emmett would take the opportunity to come up with some unoriginal dad jokes.

As I was thinking about the situation, I could hear through Jasper that Alice was growing increasingly frustrated. Maybe she'd figured it out too, and was getting angry that I'd screwed up so much. I looked in her direction and she was trying to hide her emotions. It only took a few more seconds until she gave in.

"Okay, I give up!" She exploded, pouting. "What the hell is wrong with you? You've been sulking for a hundred years, and you finally have a golden opportunity to fix your mistakes, and what do you do? You stand here and sulk some more." She rambled on. I shot her a glare. She doesn't have the first clue! I have a lot to think about! As much as I want to go talk to Bella and comfort her, she probably wouldn't speak to me anyway. Maybe Renesmee can calm her down before I try and see her. Perhaps the fact that my body didn't seem to be working was a sign—A sign that if I were to go talk to Bella right now, I'd just make things worse.

"Edward! Are you even listening to me? For the love of all that is holy—man up and go get your family back!" She yelled. As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she must have realized she said something wrong because regret and fear overwhelmed her. It only took a fraction of a second, but her attempts at blocking her thoughts failed and I realized what she'd been hiding from me.

"You knew." I growled at her, growing angry both at the harsh reality of her words and the fact that she knew that Renesmee was my daughter! She was worried, but tried not to let it show through.

"You stop it right there, Mister! Yes, I knew, but only since yesterday!" She defended herself.

"Alice—" I growled once again. A whole day! I could have had a whole day with my daughter getting to know her even more!

"Don't get mad at me! I was going to tell you, but she told me not to." Alice admitted. I must admit, I was a little hurt that Renesmee didn't want me to know. Does that mean, she would have just let us all leave, knowing who we were.

"Alice, we're family! You were supposed to tell me!" I was still angry, but the hurt that I felt from Renesmee not wanting me to know had calmed me down a little. Alice gave me an disbelieving look.

"Are you kidding me? By that logic, I made the right decision then." I was still angry, but the fact that she already considered my daughter as part of our family warmed my heart a bit.

"This isn't over." I told her.

"Didn't think it would be." She responded. I made my way toward the area that Renesmee and Bella had left, intending to find them now that my feet seemed to work. I heard Emmett mumble a quick 'What the hell' before I tuned them out, solely focused on finding my mate and daughter. I made it almost to the small stairway when two people stepped in front of me.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Cullen, but we cannot permit you to go any further." The large one, Felix, told me. Based off of his thoughts, I was surprised he was being so civil to me. He was very protective of my Bella, and he knew well of what had gone down between us. The same went for the other, smaller, one named Demetri. He and Bella were very close. Luckily for him, he saw Bella as a sister, as did Felix.

"I'm begging you—I have to fix this. Please let me see them." I pleaded. They were displeased with the fact that I knew Renesmee was my daughter. They knew I had seen Bella, but were hoping that I didn't realize my relation to Renesmee. I hoped their silence meant that I could go by, so I started to walk around, but they stopped me again.

"We told you, Mr. Cullen. It wouldn't be good for anyone if we allowed you to see them." This time Demetri spoke. I was growing more upset by the second.

"That's my mate and my daughter back there. You have no right to keep me from seeing them." I lowered my voice so it was barely audible. I'm sure if Jane heard me threatening her fellow guards, I'd be writhing on the floor in less than a second. These two, however, had no offensive power over me.

"As honorary brothers to Isabella and uncles to Renesmee, I think we do." Felix told me. He was growing angrier as well. Demetri remained relatively calm, at least outwardly.

"So help me, if you don't move this instant—" A flash of movement and bronze hair out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. I watched as Renesmee entered the room, once again, looking like a zombie. There were tears staining her cheeks, her mouth was hanging slightly open, and she kept her hollow eyes lined to the floor as she walked. I didn't know what had happened with Bella, but I knew the girl standing a few feet away from me was nothing like the smiling, happy girl I had been dancing with a few minutes ago.

* * *

Renesmee's POV-

What had I done? This was way worse than anything I could have expected. I thought she'd be angry and scream at me. She had every right to be mad. I had gone behind her back, betrayed her even. I expected her to be furious with me. I could handle angry. Mom has rarely been angry enough to yell at me in the past, but each of those times, she would yell, I would apologize, I'd go to my room for a day, and then we'd hug it out the next morning.

I never expected this! She didn't even seem angry as much as she did sad and disappointed. I wanted her to yell. I wanted her to ground me forever and tell me that I'm an idiot. I would gladly trade my freedom for a week with my family—but no, instead of angry, she's sad. I can't even say that I understand why. I always assumed that she didn't want them to meet me because she didn't want them to take me away from her. That sounds like it would generate a more angry response rather than sad though. Unless she thinks they're going to take me from her…but that would be crazy! I would never leave my mom. She's been the peanut butter to my jelly since day one. I need her. And if she truly thought that the idea was even a possibility, then why would she try and push me away? She wouldn't even look at me, let alone talk to me. How is that supposed to make me want to be around her if she won't even listen?

I slowly made my way back to the throne room. I didn't really feel like being around people, but I had to tell Aro that the party was over. I just wanted all of these strangers out of my home. I hoped I wouldn't run into Jordan again. I was at my breaking point and I know that if he tries to pull something, I would snap at him.

I don't even know that I want to see the Cullens. My dad saw my mom, so he knew she was alive. He'd probably bombard me with questions that I really am not in the right mindset to answer. I don't think I ever explicitly said that she was my mom, but considering that he said that I look just like her, I'm sure it didn't take long to figure out. From there, he'd have to be an idiot to not figure out what that meant for him, and I knew he wasn't dumb.

I wonder if anybody else saw my mom. Rosalie and Emmett hadn't. It wouldn't matter if Alice did. I wondered how Jasper, Carlisle, and Esme would respond if they did see my mom. Would they be upset? Angry, even? I sure hoped not. I adore them already, and I don't know that I could ever see them in the same light if they didn't get along with my mother. I wondered how they would feel if they found out about me. They seemed really intrigued when I told them earlier in the week about my hybrid-ness, for lack of a better word, but how would they feel knowing that Edward is my father? I'm sure I'd be intrigued too if I found, perhaps, a two headed dog, but that doesn't mean I'd keep it forever.

I walked into the throne room, my face likely looking like a mess. I wasn't crying anymore, but the evidence was all over my face. I was a mess. I looked around for Aro and when I spotted him, I started walking over to him. He was discussing something with Marcus, and normally I'd hate to interrupt, but I couldn't seem to let myself care tonight. I had never felt so broken and alone, and I had nobody to blame but myself.

I was about halfway to Aro when it happened. I was walking over, feeling sadder than ever about what had happened with my mom, in addition to the fact that I could see my dad struggling against Felix and Demetri's holds, when Jane spoke.

"You act like you didn't know this was going to happen." _Hell no, bitch. Not today._ I turned to her and glared. She was already glaring at me when we made eye contact.

"I didn't! Not today at least." Jane shook her head at my words, giving me a look of disbelief.

"Do you even hear yourself, Renesmee? You're upset because Mommy coming home ruined your birthday with the Cullens?" I didn't say anything. I had no idea how to defend myself, but I continued to glare. I could see by the mention of their names, the Cullens started to pay attention and make their way over to where my dad was currently standing, watching in horror. She let out a sarcastic chuckle. "You are unbelievable! Do you realize how much your mother has done for you—how much she's given up for you?" She pushed. I narrowed my eyes. I was seeing red.

"Of course, I do, Jane!" I yelled. I was going to continue, but she cut me off.

"Then why would you do this to her? To your own mother! Renesmee, you of all people should have known how much this would hurt her." She continued. Her words shot through me, and my eyes starting to water once again. I hate that I was letting her get the upper hand on me. I had a good reason to do this!

"I just wanted to meet my—them." Shit. I almost said family. By the outraged look on Jane's face, I know she heard my mess up.

"Say it. Say the word, Renesmee." Jane challenged. I felt myself gaining confidence. I was not going to let her stand here and dig into me. She hadn't the slightest clue, and with each word that escaped her mouth, my hesitation about completely ripping her apart faded.

"My _family._ "

"Your family? Look around, Renesmee. This is your family." She was referring to the Aro, Caius, Marcus, and the rest of the guard. "They aren't your family. They're strangers, one of which you happen to share DNA with, that's it!" She yelled. I can't take this. I can't take any more of this utter bullshit. I can't believe I used to like and admire her! She says she's my family, but here she is trying to make me feel like I'm a horrible person for wanting to meet my father! It's been a hundred years for the love of all that is holy!

"You see, that's where you're wrong, Jane. In a matter of days, I have learned more about why I am who I am than I have in the past fifty years!" I told her. She rolled her eyes, and I snapped. "Who are you to even judge me? Just because your dad hated you so much that he had you burned at the stake doesn't mean that I shouldn't be allowed to know mine." I said angrily. God, if looks could kill. I hit a soft spot and I knew it.

"That's not the point, Renesmee! You know how much pain they caused your mother!"

"It's been a hundred years, Jane! I waited for a hundred years!" I defended myself.

"Exactly. A hundred years and you _still_ don't seem to comprehend that there is never going to be a relationship between you and the Cullens. Not if you want to have a relationship with your mother that is." She smirked and I tried to think of something witty to say. I hated to think that there was a possibility that I wouldn't have any sort of relationship with the Cullens. Aunt Alice was right. I loved them already. Jane took my silence as a cue to continue.

"C'mon _Ness_ , you didn't actually think that they could just show up and Mommy and Daddy would get back together and everyone would be a big, happy, family did you?" She taunted. Of course I never expected that, as much as I desperately wished it would. I didn't want to start crying again, especially not at something as stupid as her lame taunting.

"Jane, stop." I told her. I wanted to just tell Aro that the party was over and retreat to my room. I wanted this day to just be over.

"No. I had to hold my tongue this entire week. I had to act civil to these _atrocities_ this entire week so they wouldn't grow suspicious. Well, secret's out, _Princess_! I might as well get everything I need to say off my chest now." She smirked. What I wouldn't give to see her power backfire on her just once.

"Civil? You call being a raging bitch all week being civil?" I questioned. She tilted her head at me, giving me a smug look.

"At least I know where my loyalties lie." Again, her words felt like a canon just blew through my chest.

"That's low, Jane." I whispered. My loyalty was with my mother, but I can't just completely turn my back on my father and his family!

"Just about as low as going behind your mother's back and getting all buddy-buddy with the sole group of people she was trying to protect you from." She hesitated intentionally. "I can't say I can think of anything as low as that." My face was red with anger and my fists were clenched at my side at this point.

"You act like I'm proud of what I've done! I feel horrible for hurting her so much, but—" I began.

"But what, Renesmee? What could you possibly have to say that would excuse you for what you've done? You're mother's entire existence revolves around you! Every thought she has and emotion she feels can be tied back to you somehow. She has been with you, guiding you, protecting you, loving you since she found out she was pregnant with you! Think about it Renesmee. She risked her life coming here so you could be born. She had to learn how to raise a hybrid baby from the time she was 18 while trying to learn how to manage life as a vampire. She has hidden here for 100 years for your protection. She only ever leaves if it's for your sake. Most astonishing is the fact that she forces herself to put on a brave face for you every single day despite the fact that the resemblance between you and your father kills her inside. Doesn't that mean anything to you?" She spat. I began sobbing as guilt flooded through me. As much as I hated to admit it, I knew Jane was right. I didn't even try to formulate a response. I heard my dad growl from behind Demetri and Felix which just made me cry harder. How could something so amazing be so horrible in the eyes of my mom? Jane looked over at him and chuckled a bit.

"Of course not because between the unconditional love of everyone here in Volterra, and being spoiled rotten, poor baby Renesmee still craves the one thing she cannot have—A relationship with her daddy." She fake pouted to mock me. I could kill her. "God! You idolized him so much that your mother never had the heart to tell you—"

"Stop Jane!" Alec yelled, effectively cutting her off. She looked over at him. Alec normally wasn't one to get angry, but when he did, everyone knew to back off. He glared at his sister, who cowered a bit in shame. Aro was the next one to speak now that Jane and I weren't verbally attacking each other.

"Thank you for coming everyone. It has been lovely seeing you all once again. Tonight's ball has now come to an end, but we hope to see you all again in the future, on good terms I hope." He addressed everyone, then turned to me. "I'll handle Jane. You should get some rest."

For the first time since running away earlier, I looked to face my father. The pain in his eyes rivaled my mother's. His eyes were pleading with me to talk to him, to not leave. It was inevitable though. I guess a relationship between the Cullens and I just wouldn't be a part of my forever. My eyes watered again at the thought. I hated how emotional I was being tonight! I stared at the floor so they wouldn't see the tears and pain in my eyes.

"It was nice meeting you all. This past week has been one of the best weeks of my life, so thank you. I hope you have a safe trip back." I concluded and began to turn away. I could hear my father struggling against Felix and Demetri, and whispering threats to them both, although I couldn't hear the specifics. I suddenly felt two cold arms wrap around me, and looked up. It wasn't exactly who I had hoped, but I hugged her back anyway, letting the sobs escape me. This could be the last time I'd ever see any of them, and it killed me.

"Shhh, Ness. It's okay." Alice comforted me, rubbing my back. She was shorter than me, but I buried my head in her shoulder. I shook my head.

"No, it's not. She won't even look at me." I admitted. She hugged me tighter.

"Give it time, Ness. Your mom is stubborn as a mule, but she loves you. I don't need to be an empath to know that." She told me. I don't know how I ever survived without her. I pulled away, wiping my tears.

"I guess this is goodbye." I said. She shook her head.

"No, it's not a goodbye. It's a see you later." She assured me, taking my hands and slipping something into one of them. "We'll always be here." I looked at the small piece of paper that had a list of phone numbers, emails, and an address on it. I smiled a bit. "We love you." She told me.

"I love you too. All of you." I said, looking from her to my dad. His eyes were still pleading for me to stay. "I have to go. I'm sorry." I once again turned my back and walked out the door.

 **Author's Note:**

 **So that's the end of the ball. Pretty eventful, huh?**

 **I worked really hard on this chapter, so I hope you'll all be kind enough to review. Here's some example review topics.**

 **1\. General thoughts on the chapter, the ball as a whole, or Renesmee's behavior.**

 **2\. Who do you think won that verbal battle between Renesmee and Jane?**

 **3\. What do you think will happen now? The whole 'Bella shows up at the ball' was pretty predictable, I'll admit. Can anyone guess what's coming next? Or what you'd like to happen at least?**

 **Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, alerted, favorited, or literally even read my story. You make me happy :D**

 **PM with questions.**

 **Until next time, Taylor.**

 *****Easter break is next weekend, so if I get a good response on this chapter (lets say 395 reviews), I'll try to update earlier or maybe even *drum roll* twice. You have officially been bribed.**


	21. The Great Escape

**Disclaimer- All recognizable characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer, and therefore not mine.**

* * *

Renesmee's POV-

It has officially been a month since I've last seen or communicated with the Cullens. I wasn't sure of the specifics of what went down after I left the ballroom on the night of my birthday, and honestly, by the small amounts I'd heard, I really didn't want to know every detail of what happened.

I know that my father refused to leave. He pleaded and fought in an attempt to speak with my mother and I, but his attempts were useless against the force of the Volturi. I stopped listening after I'd heard a member of the guard recall that Jane had to be called in to make my father stop. She probably got a lot of amusement out of that task, and I hated it.

I hadn't heard much more than that. I knew the other Cullens were hesitant to leave as well. They are, for all intents and purposes, a family. They love each other and are very protective of the members of their family. They wanted to stay for the sake of myself and my parents, but at the same time, the Volturi were too great a power to go against.

All I was certain of now was that they weren't here, and I no idea what was going on with them. I intended to still keep in touch through texts and calling, but the following day, I woke up to find that my phone (as well as everything else that was dear to me) was taken from me. I didn't fight it. This was at least better than being ignored. I prepared myself for the aftermath of last night, to finally have my mom freak out at me, butA to my utter dismay, she didn't.

In fact, she hasn't spoken more than a few words at a time to me since the incident. Most of the time, she all out ignored me. What annoyed me even more was that she'd freaked out at Aro for helping me in my 'diabolical plot' and was able to forgive him about a week later. That didn't mean that the atmosphere of the castle wasn't tense though, not by a long shot.

Jane was still as bitchy as ever, taking jabs at me every time Aro or Alec weren't around. Aro and Alec were kind to me. They were much more understanding than anyone else was. I shouldn't be surprised though. Aro knew very well just how much I suffered over the past hundred years, not being able to see my family, and Alec has always been like a protective older brother.

I also found comfort in the form of Sulpicia. I found myself often retreating to her tower to escape from the drama of the rest of the family. She's always been sympathetic toward me, and she always had good advice to offer me. I told her about the whole situation that had occurred, as she'd only heard some of it from her husband, and she was more than willing to listen and comfort me when the sadness would overwhelm me, and I would break down.

Between she, Alec, and Aro, I was able to hold onto the hope that maybe things would turn out alright. I mean, if they could sympathize with me, then surely that means I couldn't have been completely wrong in my actions. I know I could have went about seeing my family in a different manner rather than going behind my mom's back, but I was desperate. If Alec, Aro, and Sulpicia were able to see the reasoning behind my thinking, hopefully my mom would be able to as well.

Every day I woke up in hopes that it would be the day that my mom would finally forgive me, or at least start the process of forgiving me by freaking out, but my hopes were crushed when she would avoid and ignore me.

I was currently sitting in the base eating a bowl of soggy cereal when I started to hear light footsteps approaching. I quickly finished my bite of cereal and set the bowl in front of me. She came into the room wearing a dark purple dress that just brought out the endless pools of black that her eyes had become. She hadn't hunted at all in the month that she's been back, and I feared that she would wander too close to the throne room at feeding time, and completely fall off the bandwagon.

"Hi Mom." I said. She didn't turn to face me, but I still hoped she would respond. She's tried to avoid me, but when didn't work out and I'd try to talk to her, she'd normally respond with a very short answer before moving on.

"Renesmee." She replied, continuing to walk in the direction of her room. I sighed in disappointment. A month had gone by and still no progress. My hope dwindled with each day that passed. At this point, I wasn't sure how much was left. I knew I had to do something. I had to get her to talk to me. I quickly rose from the couch, and followed her to her room.

"Mom, I think we need to talk." I said, following her. The situation was just as it was a month ago—me following her watching her hair swing at her waist, begging her to talk to me.

"Not now, Renesmee." She replied simply.

"Mom, it's been a month. I know you're upset but things aren't going to get better if we don't talk about it." I told her. She shook her head, but didn't say anything. "If you're worried about them taking me away from you, I can assure you that won't happen. I won't let it." I told her, and she stopped walking.

"Renesmee, I need you to stop. This will only make things worse." She told me. The way I see it, things are already getting better. That's the most she's said in the past month!

"You don't want them to take me, and I told you that they won't so I don't understand the problem." I defended myself. She stopped walking and turned to me, the anger finally showing through.

"You went behind my back." She said angrily. I had to remind myself that this was progress. Nothing would get better until we air our grievances.

"Well it's not like I could really tell you." I told her honestly. She would never talk to me about the Cullens and every time I mentioned them, she would get sad again. I knew that telling her that I wanted to see them would kill her. I suppose that would have been better than doing it on my own, but hindsight is 20-20.

"I thought we didn't hide things from each other." She told me. What? Other than this one time, I have always been open with her!

"Isn't that a little hypocritical considering you've ignored me for the past month, and kept me from the other part of my family for over a hundred years because you were afraid they would take me from you, which had you told me, I could have assured you that they wouldn't." She narrowed her eyes at me. I didn't mean to say it so rudely, but I have to air my grievances too.

"I was being a mother. It's my job to protect you, and as long as I'm around, they won't be." She growled. I was still surprised by her reaction despite knowing that she doesn't want me to know them. How could she really hate them that much to say that she wouldn't be around if they were? They're still my family, and I loved them.

"That's so unfair to keep me from them!" I yelled. I was still hurt by her previous words.

"They don't deserve to get to know you, Renesmee." She responded angrily. My thoughts were running wild at this point. The Cullens were amazing. If anything, it was I who wasn't worthy of knowing them.

"You don't even know them!" I shouted. Not my best choice of words, seeing as she had spent about a year with them whereas I knew them for about a week. It really was as if she didn't know them at all though!

"And you do?" She questioned me, sarcastically. I shook my head at her obvious doubt.

"I know that they are some of the most incredible people I have ever met, and they love us both despite the fact that we gave them every reason not to." I told her honestly. Her face turned pained and dark following my words.

"You're wrong, Renesmee." She said half angrily, half hurt, and I was hurt by her response. She must not want them to love me—that's so selfish!

"No, you're wrong! You didn't see their faces— _his_ face. Mom, he was begging to see you. He tried to fight everyone!" She had a look of anger and disbelief still. "He even told me—Alice too! When you walked in, we were talking about you! He called you his mate and says that he misses you. Mom, he loves you so much!" I said, trying to convince her, but she still looked mad.

"You know nothing, Renesmee." She said in a monotone voice, turning and walking the rest of the way to her room. Damn it! She can't go back to being the catatonic robot she's been for the past month! Why is she doing this? I've witnessed her heartache my entire life. I know she misses them too! I followed her to and into her room and watched her collapse on her bed, just like she did last month.

"You can deny that you love him all you want, but I know the truth. If you would just stop being so stubborn—" I began.

"GET OUT!" She yelled. I turned and left the room, slamming the door behind me. I couldn't believe she was acting so childish! God, if she didn't want to put up with baby daddy drama, she should have just saved herself the trouble and had an abortion!

I ran into my room, slamming that door equally as hard. I hope she heard it. I collapsed on my bed and screamed into my pillow. What am I supposed to do? She hates me! She absolutely hates me! I just want to be happy again. I want to know that I am loved unconditionally and not have to deal with unnecessary drama. Despite the explanation that Mom was mad because she didn't want to lose me, it seemed as if the opposite was true. I bet she was regretting having me at all. I'm just a burden.

I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that she seemed to despise the Cullens so much. They were so nice. I couldn't find a single thing that was even considerably bad enough to not like them. Earlier in the week, my dad was kind of acting like an asshole, but that was because I reminded him of Mom and because he missed her. I can't imagine he would have been that way around her. As far as the rest of the Cullens, they were all super kind, and fun to be around. There's nothing to not like about them either.

Even after finding out that I had lied to them, Alice was eager to accept me as part of the family. She didn't even seem mad at all, just thankful to have me. I didn't ever get the chance to talk to my dad or the others, but it just seemed as if they wanted to know me as well. They didn't seem angry as much as sad because they had to leave. How ironic. The ones who actually had a reason to be sincerely angry with me, people I had only known for a week and had no prior ties with me, were more accepting than my own mother. _That_ is how a family should be—unconditionally loving and forgiving.

I came to the realization and immediately hopped off my bed, going to my closet. I grabbed a large bag and began piling stuff inside—the first thing being the plane tickets I was given. I finished quickly and looked at the small note Alice had given me. I'd already memorized all the numbers and the address, but I glanced at it once more to reassure myself that what I was doing was right. I took a deep breath, looking around my room to memorize the way it looks, and snuck out, making my way to the airport.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Here's your early update because the response on the last chapter was amazing! Sorry for the time skip, but I feel like there wasn't anything that necessary in the month between that needed to be expanded on.**

 **As always, let me know your thoughts on this chapter and any predictions that you have! The goal for this chapter is 430 reviews (:**

 **1\. Who do you sympathize with right now—Nessie or Bella?**

 **2\. How will the Cullens actually react to seeing Renesmee?**

 **3\. What will happen when Bella finds out that Nessie ran away?**

 **I'll keep writing. Hopefully, I can get the next chapter up on Sunday as a nice Easter present! If not, I'll try to get it up on Monday.**

 **Until next time, Taylor**

 *****PM with questions or additional comments.**


	22. Welcome Home

**Disclaimer- All recognizable characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer, and therefore not mine.**

 **Author's Note: I loved everyone's feedback on the last chapter! Half of you are on Bella's side and the other half are on Renesmee's! That's great because it means that my writing isn't unintentionally biased one way or the other. Thanks for the feedback!**

* * *

Alice's POV-

It's been a month since the ball, and since I had last spoken to my darling niece. I've never been able to see her future clearly, so I didn't know what was going on with her and her mother. I had hoped she would call though. I missed hearing her voice, and I wanted to make sure that she was okay. I worried for Bella as well. I couldn't imagine what she was going through. I was so torn. I know that Bella has every right to be mad at us, but I missed her so much! I just wished that she would forgive us so she, Nessie, and the rest of us could be a family. I knew it wasn't that simple though.

Since we'd left Volterra a month ago, everyone was a mess, especially Edward. We were barely able to get him to leave Italy in the first place. It killed him to leave, feeling as if it was the past repeating itself. He didn't want to make the same mistake again by leaving. None of the family wanted to leave per se, but we knew it was for the best. It would be a while until Bella, or the Volturi, would forgive us for all that we'd done. Staying in Italy would have just made it worse. We tried to convince Edward to leave but he refused and fought. It wasn't until I had a blurry vision of him sitting at what I think was his piano, smiling with another figure that we were able to convince him to leave. We suspected that the other figure was Renesmee seeing as the vision was fuzzy, and that's normally what happened when I tried to look into her future.

He was still reluctant to leave, but knowing that the time would come when he would be reunited with his daughter calmed him a bit. Upon arriving home, he went into the same pattern of sulking and mostly staying in his room as he had for the past hundred years. I don't know if I would describe it as better or worse than before. Knowing that Bella was alive and he had a daughter who loved him gave him some life, but at the same time, everyone could see how painful it was to be away from them. I could only imagine how hard it would be to stay away from Jazzy. I couldn't even picture how much it would hurt to be in Edward's situation.

The rest of the family was upset too. Everyone had figured out the big secret after Jane and Nessie battled it out with their words. Everyone was shocked but happy to learn that Nessie was Edward's daughter and Bella was alive, but at the same time, they felt horrible for the situation Bella had been put in. We had to keep Rosalie away from Edward for his own safety. She always wanted a baby, and she could kill Edward for wasting a hundred years he (and she) could have spent with his.

All in all, the discovery had taken it's toll on the whole family. Everyone felt the same sadness as they did when we left Bella the first time, but this time, it was worse because we had to leave Renesmee too. Jasper could barely stand to be in the room with everyone at the same time. We spent a lot of time out hunting or shopping so Jasper wouldn't explode from all of the excess emotions flying around, and there were A LOT of them according to Jasper.

Nobody really knew how to feel about the situation. There was regret and guilt for leaving Bella initially, in addition to the fact that we now know that by leaving, she had to raise a baby basically on her own, and ended up being changed as a result. There was an overwhelming amount of love for both Renesmee and Bella, but also sadness because they weren't with us. There was worry over the fact that Bella didn't want to see us, and nobody knew what was happening with either of them in Volterra. Last but not least, there was some hope. Nessie said she loves us, although we had given her every reason to hate us. I could only hope that everything was okay in Volterra, and that Nessie and Bella would join us soon.

I was currently curled up in Jazzy's arms on the love seat in the living room. Emmett and Jazz were watching something on the TV, but I wasn't paying attention. I was thinking about Renesmee and Bella, which I found myself doing a lot of in the past month. I heard footsteps coming down the stairs at a next to human pace, and tried to hide my thoughts. That would be the least I could do considering that I robbed him of the opportunity of talking to his daughter, with the knowledge that he was her father, in Volterra. I could tell he still hadn't forgiven me completely for that.

He walked toward the door slowly. His eyes were pitch black. I figured he was probably going to hunt. I suppose today would be as good a day as ever. It had been a month since we'd seen Renesmee and everyone was probably thinking about her. I'm sure that was agonizing.

"It is. Thank you for reminding me." He said. I apologized in my head and he sighed, walking out the door and taking off into the woods.

* * *

Renesmee's POV-

It was a lot more simple to sneak out than I thought it would be. Without my mother and Jane hovering over me endlessly, I doubted anyone would even notice my absence until I was well on my way to Seattle. It didn't keep me from feeling nervous though. It wasn't until the plane actually took off that I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. I was hoping to sleep during the plane ride, but seeing as I had just woken up a few hours ago, I wasn't that tired. I listened to music and watched movies the entire fourteen hour flight. I didn't want to allow my mind to wander about all the things that could go wrong with my little escape plot.

Within minutes after the plane touched down in Seattle, I found myself seated in a taxi on my way to Ovington, Washington. I'd never heard of it before, so I looked it up. It would be about a three hour drive. Right now it was about 5:30 in the evening with the time changes. Back in Volterra it was 2:30 in the morning. I could feel that I was tired, but I didn't want to fall asleep. I was too anxious anyway.

When we passed a sign that said 'Welcome to Ovington' my heart began to race. It would be only minutes until I came face to face with the Cullens again. I wonder how they'll react. I probably should have called first and let them know I was coming. The thought didn't really occur to me until now. I've been in such a rush, I didn't think to stop at a payphone or something to warn them. I suddenly grew nervous. I hope they wouldn't be mad. The driver asked me again for the address I had told him, and continued driving through and then out of the town toward the forest. After a few minutes, he stopped when a small side road met the main road we were traveling on. It had a mailbox with the number of the Cullens' address on it.

"This is as far as I can take you, Miss. The rest of the road is private property.I hope that'll be okay." The driver told me. I grabbed my bag from beside me and pulled out my money to pay him.

"That'll be just fine. Thank you." I handed him the money and stepped out of the car, taking a deep breath. I didn't know how far back the house was, but I couldn't see it from here. It was dark out, but I wasn't really worried.

I waited until the car pulled away before I started running down the road toward the house. When it finally came into view, I slowed down. It was beautiful. It wasn't as big as the castle, but I didn't expect it to be. It was three stories tall and was made of stone and brick. I couldn't help but notice the numerous amount of gigantic windows as well. It seemed so open, unlike the castle, which had barely any windows at all and seemed like a prison.

I made my way to the door, and my nerves peaked. _It's okay, Renesmee. You can do this. It's only the Cullens._ I told myself. At this moment, I wondered if my mom's shield was still up. I guess I'll find out soon enough. I went to lightly tap on the door, but before I could, the door swung open to reveal a very excited Alice. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head and she squealed when she saw me.

"Oh my goodness, Renesmee!" She pulled me into a tight hug and then pulled away to look me over, probably to make sure that I was real.

"Hi." I said. That was all I could come up with. On the flight and in the car, I tried to prepare something to say to them, but now that the time came, I had nothing. I felt the wind blow and goosebumps covered my skin.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Come in, come in. You must be cold. It's much colder here than in Italy." She told me, pulling me inside with her. She guided me up a set of stairs, never letting go of my hand. Her cold hand reminded me of what I remembered of my mom's gentle touch and eased my anxiety. "Everyone get your asses down here! We have a visitor!" Alice half-yelled. I'm sure it was just for dramatic effect as they could hear her in a normal tone just fine.

Seconds later, everyone ran down to the living room, and I was met with the same shocked and happy expression as each person entered. The only one I didn't see was my dad.

"Renesmee, darling! It's so good to see you." Esme pulled me into a hug and I relaxed into her embrace. It was so good to feel wanted.

"It's good to see you too. I missed you all." I said, looking at everyone around me.

"We missed you too, Squirt!" Emmett said, lifting me off the ground in a bone crushing bear hug.

"Emmett put her down before you break her. She is half Bella, remember?" Rose said. He put me down and she took her turn hugging me. "Oh, Renesmee. We've missed you so much, honey. We were so sad when you didn't call. We thought you were mad." She admitted.

"I'm sorry. My phone was taken away." I told her and she smiled in relief.

"Ness, honey, don't get me wrong, we are so excited to see you…but why are you here?" Esme asked. She was so kind, trying really hard not to offend me. I thought about how to answer her and rolled my eyes thinking about my mom.

"I just can't deal with my mother right now." I admitted. They looked sad at my confession.

"Ness, what happened?" Alice asked. She and everyone else looked concerned.

"I mean, I don't even know. The whole situation is just a mess. I try to talk to her and she just doesn't even care." I explained, the sassy sixteen year old girl in me showing through. As I thought about it, I grew even more frustrated. I felt a wave of calm hit me out of nowhere, relaxing me quite a bit and looked to Jasper. He was trying to hide his smile. "Anyway, since she seems to be trying to forget the fact that she has a child, I was hoping I could stay here for a bit." I looked at my hands, worried about how they would respond, when I heard Alice squeal _again_.

"Really? Oh, this will be so exciting! We can go shopping for clothes and stuff for your room! Esme and I could design it for you. Do you like the color—" Alice began, but Esme cut her off before she go too carried away.

"Alice, calm down. Renesmee, you are welcome to stay with us for as long as you need. You are family after all." She smiled at me, and a huge grin covered my face.

"Ahhh! Edward will be so excited!" Alice told me. I heard the door open and close quickly.

"About what?" I heard my father ask. I'm sure the question was unnecessary as surely by now, he could hear everyone's thoughts. I turned to look at him, and I saw him freeze as soon as he saw me.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Don't hate me. So, as with all of the chapters I write, I had this chapter generally outlined so I would know what to write. This time, however, I kept thinking of more stuff to add to the chapter, so it turned from pretty short to very long, so I decided to split it up.**

 **I hope you all aren't too upset with this chapter. I know not that much happened, but I wanted to upload, and I didn't think I'd be able to finish the extended chapter until like next weekend because this week is super busy for me.**

 **I still hope you'll review! I got some really amazing suggestions and predictions in the last few chapters, which I will be sure to take into consideration. I also like hearing your general opinions.**

 **The goal for this chapter is 480 reviews. Some ideas for reviews if just don't know what to say:**

 **1\. Predictions you have / suggestions**

 **2\. How will Edward react?**

 **3\. How will Bella react?**

 **4\. Opinion on Nessie's behavior. (I love reading these! Half of you think she's being a brat and the other half sympathize with her. I don't even know which side I'm on to be honest!)**

 **Happy Easter! Until next time, Taylor**

 *****PM with questions**


	23. Welcome Home Pt 2

**Author's Note: I don't own Twilight. Okay? Okay.**

* * *

Renesmee's POV-

I examined the expression on my father's face as he analyzed the situation. His expression was unreadable, which concerned me. I didn't know whether he was happy to see me or not. After all, I hadn't spoken to him in over a month. He must have noticed my facial expression transform into one that showed my fear, because his face quickly softened.

"Renesmee…" He spoke uncertainly. The sadness was evident in his voice. I wanted to comfort him, but I wasn't sure where we stood at the moment, so I stayed where I was. "What are you doing here?" He asked, but added another question before I could answer. "Where is your mother?" His expression looked panicked. I would have chuckled if I wasn't so nervous. I decided to answer his second question first so he'd relax.

"She's in Volterra." I answered simply. He seemed to relax a bit, but still appeared tense. He was nervous and confused.

"What are you doing here?" He repeated his first question. His voice was calmer, but still not completely at ease. I knew why I was here, but it was a lot harder to get the words out now than it had been when I was explaining to the rest of the Cullens.

"I was hoping to stay with you for a bit." I admitted. The expression that covered his face seemed to be a mix of relief and worry, if that's even possible. He ran his hand through his messy bronze hair and looked like he was thinking really hard.

"Does your mom know you're here?" He asked.

"Not exactly?" My answer came out sounding like a question. The other Cullens had failed to ask that question and I wasn't sure if it would change their decision to let me stay with them. I know that my dad didn't seem happy. He didn't look mad. On the contrary, he seemed scared and worry etched itself across his face.

"Renesmee, what happened?" He asked. His eyes were pleading with me for a good explanation. I wasn't sure if mine would be quite enough, but I told my story anyway.

"She hates me." I pouted. "She won't even talk to me—I mean, it's been a month! The longest she's ever been mad at me is like two days. She's given up. I tried to talk to her, but she flipped out and told me to leave, so I did." That was mostly the truth. Everything up to the telling me to leave part. She did in fact tell me to leave, but she had been referring to leaving her bedroom.

My dad once again looked like he was trying to concentrate on something, probably trying to comprehend what I was telling him. I took a look at the rest of the Cullens. They all looked sad. I guess I have that effect on people.

"Does _anyone_ else know you're here?" He asked, sounding desperate. I wasn't sure what he was looking for. I basically admitted that I ran away, but it seemed he was trying to hang on to some sort of hope.

"No." I told him. I watched as he took an unnecessary deep breath, and closed his eyes. He placed his hands over his face and tilted his head back. It was not hard to see that he was stressed. This was not the response I was hoping for and I was more than just a little hurt. I crossed my arms and tried to hide my disappointment and sadness. I didn't know why I thought that would work. Jasper could obviously tell what I was feeling and my dad could hear what he was thinking. I actually watched as the process unfolded. I watched as my dad's facial expression softened significantly as his eyes met Jaspers and then mine. He took a step forward, and put his hands on my upper arms, the parts that weren't crossed. I looked at the floor.

"No—Renesmee, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I just—I don't know what to do. This is all so new to me." I didn't want to look up at him. I was still feeling sad at his initial reaction. "Don't get me wrong, I am so so so happy to see you, but…" He hesitated, and dropped his hands from my arms. He ran his hand through his hair, and took a step back from me. "Shit. You're mother's going to murder me." He groaned.

"Please, she probably doesn't even care. She's been avoiding me anyway, I don't see a difference in whether I'm there or not." I told him. He looked at me with a pained expression and shook his head.

"Renesmee, I know things are rough right now, but I'm sure that's not true. She certainly wouldn't be so upset if she didn't love and care for you very much." He defended her. I should have expected this much. He still loved her. He'd made that clear to me before he even knew who I was. "God, she's probably plotting ways to kill me." He groaned. I chuckled a bit.

"I wouldn't worry about that. If she really cares for me as much as you think she does, she won't hurt you. She knows how important you are to me. Hence why she told me to leave." I muttered the last part. I know she's upset, but to push your own child away is downright cruel. My dad continued to look upset, now even more so than before. He looked torn in his thoughts, and sighed deeply.

"Carlisle, do you still have Aro's number?" He asked and it felt like my heart shattered. I was staring at his face, hoping he wasn't saying what I thought he was saying. He avoided my gaze. I looked at the rest of the Cullens. Rosalie and Alice looked shocked. Rosalie actually looked a mix of shocked and pissed off. Jasper and Emmett looked upset, and held onto their wives. Esme looked sad and Carlisle looked concerned.

"What? No! Please, you can't send me back there!" I pleaded with him. It looked like my words were cutting through him, but he still wouldn't look at me.

"Your mom needs to know that you're here and that you're safe. She's probably worried sick." He said softly. I couldn't believe it.

"She could care less about me." I rebutted.

"Renesmee, she's you're mom. She loves you." He reassured me, unsuccessfully.

"Well she sure has a funny way of showing it." I muttered, and he looked at me with pleading eyes. He didn't want to fight with me, I could see it in his eyes, but this was horrible!

"Renesmee—" He started, but I didn't want to hear it. I don't think I could handle hearing anything else. This had been a wasted trip. I could see that now.

"You know what? This was stupid." I said, annoyed and looked again at my father. "I'll save you the trouble of having to call. I never should've come here." I said, my voice breaking. I ran from the living room out the door, and most of the way down the extremely long driveway. I could hear that as soon as I was out of the living room, the girls all started yelling at Edward, and followed me. As I said, I stopped running halfway down the sidewalk. The girls were close behind me, and I didn't want to be by myself anyway, despite my dramatic exit.

"Nessie! Oh, honey. Please don't go." Esme cried out to me.

"Don't listen to him. He's being an ass." Rosalie said, earning herself a look from Esme. Alice just hugged me, stroking my hair and letting my tears, which I didn't even realize were falling from my face like crazy, stain her shirt. I let out a sob and soon, I was surrounded by all three girls hugging me. When they pulled away, Alice spoke.

"Ness, you should get some sleep. I can't imagine that you got much rest today." Alice said to me softly. "You can stay in Jazzy and I's room." I started to shake my head. "Please Ness. It's getting late and you're tired and upset. You shouldn't be traveling in this state." She told me.

"She shouldn't be traveling at all." I heard Rosalie mutter under her breath, earning a look from both Alice and Esme this time.

"I can't! He doesn't want me here." I cried. Esme put her hands on both sides of my face.

"Aww, sweetheart, that's not true. We promise, he really does want you here. He's just overwhelmed, that's all." She told me, trying to soothe me. I wiped my tears and looked at them, unsure of what to do. I really didn't want to go back and talk to him. Whether he's overwhelmed or not, it really hurt to know that he really thought that the best solution was to send me back. As I thought about what to do, I could feel my eyelids growing heavier. I really was tired. I took a deep breath, looking back in the direction of the house. Rosalie reached out and grabbed my hand, offering me a smile when I looked at her.

"C'mon." She said, and I allowed her to lightly pull me back in the direction of the house. Before we walked in, my heart started to race again. I didn't want to listen to my dad freak out at Alice, Rose, and Esme for bringing me back. We walked toward the stairs that lead to the bedrooms, and passed everyone but my father. I was sort of relieved. When we got to Alice's room, Rose and Esme both gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Sweet dreams, Dear." Esme told me lovingly, while Rosalie told me she'd see me in the morning, and offered another genuine smile. Alice lead me into her room and sat me on the bed.

"I'll find you something to wear." She told me.

"Aunt Alice, you really don't need to do that. I'm fine in what I'm wearing now." She smiled at me, probably because I called her Aunt Alice again, but walked into the closet anyway. She came out with a long sleeve white shirt and a stylish pair of sweatpants. I was surprised that she even owned a pair of sweatpants.

"They were a gift from Emmett, or more like a prank actually. He'd ruined one of my pairs of pants, and Esme told him he'd have to buy me a new pair of bottoms. I told him I liked shopping at Nordstrom, so he ordered them from the Nordstrom website and gave them to me. I was pissed at first, but now that I actually found a use for them, I'll have to thank him." She joked. I reluctantly took the clothes from her hand and changed. Meanwhile, she grabbed extra blankets and pillows from her closet, laying them on the bed for me.

"Thanks Ali." I said, hugging her. She quickly hugged me back and smiled sincerely at me. When she pulled away, she stared at me, still smiling, like she was studying my face. She was probably thinking about how much I looked like my mom. My face fell at the thought, a mix of guilt, anger, frustration, and sadness filling me.

"It'll be okay, Ness." She told me.

"That's what you said last time." I reminded her.

"Just be patient. Things will work themselves out. We're family, and family doesn't give up on each other." She stroked my cheek, and I sighed. "Goodnight, Ness." I laid down in the large bed and she left the room. I rolled onto my side, facing away from the door. I could feel how tired I was, but my brain didn't seem to want to go to sleep. I couldn't stop thinking about the situations with both of my parents. The emotions from earlier came back and I started to cry. Maybe crying would help me to fall asleep. I heard the door open slowly after a few minutes. When they didn't say anything, I realized who it must be.

"Please spare me the verdict. I'll get out of your way in the morning." I told him and I heard the door shut. Initially, I wasn't sure if he was in the room or not, but soon enough, he was sitting on the bed, on the side I was facing.

"Renesmee…" He whispered, staring sadly down at me. I felt a tear start to fall, and I went to wipe it, but his hand stopped me. He wiped my tear with his freezing cold hand, and brought the hand that he had caught to his lips, kissing it lightly. I pulled it away from him, and he seemed hurt by my action.

"Baby, I'm so sorry for making you think I don't want you here. That was never my intention." His velvety voice spoke quietly, lovingly. I didn't respond. His hand stroked my cheek, and I closed my eyes, not wanting more tears to fall. "Renesmee, I'm going to be honest—I don't know what the hell i'm doing. In fact, I don't even know where to start." He said in a resigned voice. He sounded broken and I opened my eyes to look at him again. He wasn't looking down at me anymore. He was looking at his hands which were folded in front of him, resting on his knees.

"This past month, I have been wishing for an opportunity to talk to you, but now that you're here, I have no idea what to do. I'm trying to be responsible and look out for you. I want more than anything to be a part of your life, Renesmee—I need to be a part of your life." He clarified. "But to do so, I know I need to prove myself to you and your mother, and I'm pretty sure harboring you here without her knowledge isn't going to do much to help my case." He finished. I didn't know how to feel. I understood what he was saying, but I still didn't want to go back to Volterra. I knew I was putting him in a difficult situation, and for that, I felt bad, but I would do anything to stay here where I felt appreciated rather than Volterra where all I got were glares from Jane and the silent treatment from my mom.

"At least you're trying. It doesn't matter what she thinks anyway. It's not up to her." I told him and he shot me a look of disapproval. "What? It's not! It's my choice and even if she did have a say, you have just as much power over me as she does." I continued, not backing down. At this, he smiled at me and rubbed the back of my hand, the soft movements making me sleepy. "What?" I asked, referring to his goofy smile. He shook his head, chuckling a bit.

"Considering your genetics, I guess it was hopeless to ever think there was a chance you wouldn't be so stubborn." He teased, and I smiled. I was glad we were getting along again. It was silent for a minute. He was still rubbing the back of my hand, just about putting me to sleep. I realized there was something else I needed to say to him before I drifted to sleep though.

"I really appreciate the effort that your putting in, and I'm sorry for flipping out earlier. I know you're trying. I just really missed you this past month." I admitted, another tear rolling down my face at the memories of the past month. He wiped it from my face quickly.

"I missed you too, Princess…more than you could ever know." He said, and slowly stood from the bed. "Get some sleep. I'll wait until the morning to call and we can call together. I have a feeling your mother would be more willing to listen if it was you calling." He explained.

"Not necessarily." I retorted. He smiled a bit and started walking toward the door. I grew more sad with each step away from me he took. "Wait!" I called. He stopped and turned around to look at me. I didn't really know what I was meaning to say, I just knew that I didn't want him to leave. I blushed, realizing that he was waiting for me to say something. I sat up in my bed, crossing my legs.

"Could you stay with me…at least until I fall asleep?" I asked nervously. "I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to or if you're busy—" I rambled. I was embarrassed for even asking. I'm a hundred years old, I don't need anyone to protect me. Sometimes, my human nature got the best of me and subconsciously caused me to act like a sixteen year old girl, but even then, a sixteen year old doesn't need someone to protect them while they sleep either.

"Renesmee." He interrupted me from my rambling and smiled. "Of course I will." He answered, and I relaxed. He took a seat once again, next to me on the bed. I was half sitting up as he took his place on the bed. Once he sat down and rested his back against the headboard, he spoke again. "Nothing will ever be more important to me than you." He told me, which unsurprisingly caused my eyes to water again. I leaned over and hugged him. At first he seemed surprised, but then he relaxed and wrapped his arms around me.

"I love you, Dad." I told him. I was surprised as the words escaped my mouth. I didn't regret saying them, and I knew I meant it. It wasn't just a heat of the moment thing, but I was still impressed with myself for having the courage to say the words. I could feel him smile as he placed a kiss on my forehead, hugging me tighter like he never wanted to let go.

"I love you too, Princess." He said, still hugging me and rubbing patterns on my back, making me sleepy. I didn't make an attempt to move away from him. Rather, I laid my head on him and let the darkness take over.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

 **Next chapter describes Bella, so you'll get to see her response. I'm not sure if that one will be posted midway through the week or next weekend. I'm still working on finalizing the outline for that one.**

 **Leave me your thoughts and predictions! Reviews were amazing last time. I noticed more of you are switching to Team Bella. I like hearing your thoughts, whatever they are, so feel free to share.**

 **Goal is 515 reviews! Sample subjects:**

 **1\. How do you like Edward's reaction? Too harsh/soft.**

 **2\. Predictions on Bella's reaction**

 **3\. Suggestions or predictions about other events with the Cullens and Nessie while she's there.**

 **4\. *(Also a NEW poll on profile—round 2) Should Jacob be involved in the story?**

 **Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, alerts, and honestly just for reading! There's still time until this story is finished (I'm thinking 6-7 chapters, but don't quote me), but I'm starting to think of ideas for the next story I'll write, so you can leave suggestions about that too, or add me to your author alert list so you'll be able to see what I write next.**

 **Until next time, Taylor**

 ***Jacob would barely be mentioned other than just being said to Nessie's partner, and wouldn't be used as another conflict in the story. I'd have a decent explanation for his being alive. Another suggestion would be to have a relative of Jacob's, or just not mention a love interest for Renesmee.**

 *****If there are any questions, feel free to PM me.**


	24. Mama Bella

**Author's Note: I don't own Twilight. Okay? Okay.**

* * *

Bella's POV-

It's been a month since I had last seen the Cullens. The thought sounded bizarre to me. A month—a little more than four weeks—since the Cullens were here. It felt like it had been a much shorter time. Every time I had a free second to think, _his_ face filled my mind. I'd only seen it for a matter of seconds, but the effect those seconds had on me was more than I'd ever care to admit. A hundred years of nothing—no communication, no visits to Volterra—hell, I didn't even know if they were still alive, and in a matter of seconds, every old wound that I had struggled to recover from was suddenly ripped open again. Only this time, it was worse because my daughter was involved.

I hadn't even known how to react. I was angry, sad, hurt, embarrassed, frustrated—you name it. I ended up just shutting down. Sadness and betrayal took control and I couldn't even bring myself to be outwardly angry. I was lost. I should have known she'd want to meet them. She's always had an overwhelming curiosity about the other part of her family. I just didn't know how to explain to her that the hope was a lost cause. They didn't want us. They never have, and that was the end of it.

As I said, that was a month ago. Since then, I had been avoiding my daughter like the plague. Was it the best decision I've ever made? No, but for my own sanity right now, it was necessary. I had so many emotions mixed up in my head, I didn't even know where to start. For starters, I was angry. Renesmee deliberately went behind my back and brought the Cullens here. She knew that her decision would upset me, and that I would never approve and she did it anyway. I was also angry with the Cullens for not only leaving me to raise Renesmee on my own, but because now they seemed to be playing her just like they played me. I was sad knowing this. Renesmee was so naive! I was still angry but another part of me felt guilty. If I had just told Renesmee the truth all along, it would have saved both of us a lot of hurt in the long run. Those emotions were just the tip of the iceberg. It'd be far too complicated to explain everything I was feeling. Long story short, it was too painful to even look at my daughter, let alone speak to her right now, so I made a selfish move and pretended she wasn't there.

I'd been doing that for a month now, and nothing had gotten better. There seemed to be a divide in the castle. Something had gone down between Jane and Renesmee. I didn't inquire as to what actually happened because I'm sure that it would just add more emotions to the mix, but I knew that whatever it was, it was bad. I could barely spend time with Jane anymore because I was so torn inside, and I couldn't deal with her not so subtle digs at my daughter 24/7. Demetri and Felix also sympathized with me, but they didn't approve of my decision to completely ignore my daughter, nor did Alec who regularly tried to convince me to talk to her. Everyone else seemed to be passive. They didn't want to get involved and I didn't want to talk about it, so we didn't. The only one other than Renesmee that I was trying to avoid was Aro. He'd helped her with her little scheme and he _knew_ the whole story. That pissed me off to the max.

It wasn't until this morning that I'd even realized it'd been a whole month since Renesmee's birthday, and I'd only figured that out after Renesmee called me out on ignoring her for the past month. Needless to say, that ended horribly. I fought with myself for hours after that on whether or not to find her and give in to talking to her. The fact that it'd been an entire month and nothing had changed made me more perceptive to the idea that unless we talked it out, things might not get better for a while.

It was the late evening by now, and I'd finally decided to at least make an attempt at trying to talk to my daughter. I walked out of my room slowly, my mind telling me that it'd be much easier just to go back and hide in my room. I fought against my mind and walked in the direction of Renesmee's room. I didn't hear her heartbeat, so I walked toward the base to try and find her. As I approached, I heard hushed voices speaking quickly and tried to listen to what they were saying.

"I'm telling you, Felix. She's gone—nowhere to be found—missing." Alec whispered angrily.

"Are you certain she's not just with Sulpicia again? She goes up there a lot." Felix responded.

"Of course I'm certain, you doof! I've checked all over, and she's gone." Alec responded sharply. I could feel my chest tightening and I prayed to myself that they weren't talking about Renesmee.

"Have you asked your sister? Maybe they got into another brawl and she went out to blow off steam." Felix suggested. "Or maybe she went hunting! That's a reasonable explanation." I could hear Alec grit his teeth.

"No, I'd have heard it from Jane if Ness pissed her off again, and Ness wouldn't go hunting alone. She always takes someone with her." Alec defended. I walked the rest of the way into the base, now that my fears were confirmed.

"Alec, when was the last time you saw her?" I asked, not trying to disguise the evident worry in my voice. Alec seemed panicked when he saw me, but he knew that I'd heard what he said, so there was no getting around it.

"I saw her this morning, but only briefly. She was in the kitchen getting herself breakfast. We didn't talk." He told me. So I'd seen her more recently than he did. I asked Felix the same question but he said he hadn't seen her today.

"Where's Demetri?" I asked, hoping he'd be able to track her down.

"We haven't seen him since last night." Alec spoke for the two of them. I sighed angrily, and started walking away.

"I don't have time for this! We need to find her!" I yelled as I stormed away. I ran toward Renesmee's room. I was frantic. I couldn't think about anything that happened in the last month, all I could think was that Renesmee was missing and nobody had the slightest idea where she went. I opened the door to her room and started looking for some kind of clue or _something_ that would indicate where she was.

I checked her closet and saw that her large duffle bag, and a handful of clothes were gone. I checked her bed and bedside tables for a note of some sort but found nothing. I couldn't even call her because Jane convinced me to take away her phone like a teenager if she was going to act like one. I scoured her whole room and found absolutely nothing. I sat down at her desk and dry sobbed into my hands.

As mad as I was, I loved my daughter more than anything in the entire world and not knowing where she could be killed me. For all I knew, she and Jane could have gotten into an argument and she could be ten minutes away at a hotel or something, but the uncertainty killed me more than anything. I wished I had spoken to her today. I have _always_ tried to make it a point to let Renesmee know that she could come to me, but now that she actually tried to, I turned her away for selfish reasons. I was a failure for a mother.

I longed to see her face. I needed to know that she was safe. I would give anything for her to be here talking to me right now. I couldn't give up. I had to have missed something. I checked her shelves, her closet, her bathroom even, and still nothing. I wonder how mad she would be to find out I was going through all her stuff, especially if she's perfectly safe somewhere around here.

I looked at her desk and then went through her drawers. Most of them had art supplies in them, but another one was locked, unlike the other four drawers. She'd probably kill me for this later, but I broke open the drawer and looked inside. Inside was a small and medium sized book. I looked at the first one. It was her diary. I flipped it open to the last page and was displeased to find that she hadn't written in it for a few months.

Then I opened the second book. It wasn't as much a book as it was an album. It smelled distantly of her. Granted, her whole room smelt like her, but this seemed a bit stronger. There were pictures taped on every page with captions written underneath them. Some were of us. Some were of places we'd gone or wanted to visit. There were some of the rest of the guard, along with Aro, Marcus, and Caius. I flipped to the last page and my heart sank. The picture was of Renesmee and Edward. She was in the front of the picture smiling a huge, dazzling grin and he was sitting right behind her on a bed smiling crookedly like I used to be so fond of. I couldn't bring myself to read the caption. Also on this page, sticking out of the top like a bookmark, was a small note with phone numbers and an address written on it. It had all of the Cullens names written on it.

I grabbed the note and slammed the book shut. Of course she would go to the Cullens! As far as she knows, the Cullens are the kind, caring people they pretended to be with me. She has no idea what they're capable of. She thinks that I'm the one who left and rejected them, just like I was doing with her, so why not go where she feels appreciated? Damn it! Why did she have to be so naive and impulsive?

I immediately headed for the airport. I was going to get my daughter back before the Cullens could break my daughter's heart just as they did mine. I felt the guilt pinching at non-beating heart. If I had just been honest from the beginning, she would be here in Volterra—safe, with me. That's all I've ever wanted. I never want her to feel the same heartbreak that I felt, which I knew was a healthy possibility considering how curious she'd always been about her father. I just wanted her to be safe and happy and _mine_. She was my rock, the only thing that kept me going for the past hundred years. Sure, I'd gone the past month without talking to her, but I always knew that she was safe and close to me.

As time went on, my anger at my daughter lessened and reflected back onto myself. While she knew that getting to know the Cullens would upset me, she didn't understand why. If I'd had the courage to tell her, I'm certain she would have acted differently. Renesmee has always been very smart and mature, so it's easy to forget the fact that she's still part human. No matter how old she gets, she is still influenced by her human nature—that of a sixteen year old. She gets moody and emotional and dramatic sometimes because that's who she is. I should have tried to understand her more. It's my job as her mother to try to understand, even when I don't want to.

I hoped that I wouldn't be too late. It would shatter my baby's heart to find out the truth about what her father had actually said, and I'd prefer it came from me rather than one of them. I didn't want to imagine the even worse situation if they decided to say the same things to her that they did to me. I grew fearful and sad at the thought.

 _No! Pull yourself together, Bella! You are not some weak little human anymore. You are a strong, protective mama bear!_ I told myself. I boarded my plane and took my seat in first class. This would be an agonizingly long plane ride, but it would be the quickest way to Washington. I was on a mission now, and I promised myself that if anybody was getting hurt, it was not going to be my little girl.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Mama Bella is back and she is on a mission! I'm sure many of you won't be happy with Bella's thought process right now, but I assure you Nessie is not forgiven quite yet and I feel like Bella's response is rational. Her reason for existing (as mad as she was) is gone, and could be in danger—things are suddenly put in perspective.**

 **Review goal is 550 reviews for this one! Be sure to let me know any…**

 **1\. Predictions (next ch. is Nessie's POV)**

 **2\. Suggestions**

 **3\. Thoughts on this chapter/plot in general**

 **Also I'm pretty sure there will be no Jacob. I never planned for him to be a big part anyway. It was only going to be like a paragraph describing him, not even dialogue. I might write an outtake for those who really want to see him.**

 **Until next time, Taylor**

 *****PM with questions**


	25. Backstory

Renesmee's POV-

 _I ran through the woods at full speed, not really knowing why I was running. Despite the fact that I was running impossibly fast, my eyes took in every detail of my surroundings and my ears picked up every noise of the forest. I kept running, rushing past multiple streams and a herd of deer._

 _I could hear laughter from up ahead, and I followed the sound. Soon enough, I came to a clearing. I don't remember ever seeing it before, but it almost seemed too beautiful to have been made up by my imagination. Standing in the middle was my parents._

 _They were holding hands and staring at me lovingly. I slowed from my run to a slow stroll and made my way toward them. They smiled at me as I approached, and I couldn't help but smile back. When I was almost to them, my mom took a step forward and grabbed my hand. She pulled me into a tight hug and I took in the relaxing coolness of her touch._

 _She didn't speak, but she didn't have to. Her love radiated from within her, and I could feel it. I pulled away and watched as my father stroked my mom's cheek lovingly. My mom leaned her face into his touch and smiled, closing her eyes. She opened them a few moments later and stared at me._

 _"Thank you, Renesmee." They both whispered._

I let out a soft chuckle in response to my thoughts and ended up waking myself up in the process. It was very sunny, and it took my eyes a few moments to adjust to the uncomfortable light. When they did, I took in my surroundings.

The light was shining in through a gigantic window at the edge of the room. The walls surrounding it were a light lavender color and classy black and white photos took up the wall in front of me. The room didn't look familiar and I became a little alarmed. I calmed down when the memories began coming back to me. I was in Alice's room, I remembered. She brought me up here last night after she insisted that I stay.

Seeing as it wasn't an uncommon occurrence for me to fall asleep against my mom, I didn't take much notice to the ice cold statue I was currently leaning against until I heard him chuckle.

"Good morning, Renesmee." He said. Upon hearing this, my eyes focused the rest of the way and I took in the rest of my surroundings. I looked up at him and he was smiling down at me. I noticed that I was practically on top of him, and readjusted myself so I was sitting up. I rubbed my face, trying to be casual about hiding my blush. I could tell it didn't work though by the smile on his face.

"Morning" I said sleepily. "What time is it?" I asked, after looking around to check the time on my phone and remembering that I didn't have it.

"A little after seven. How did you sleep?" He asked me. I thought about his question. I didn't remember having any nightmares, so that must mean something. It was probably the best night's sleep I'd gotten in the past month.

"I guess I slept pretty well. I'm sorry you had to stay with me the whole night. I didn't mean to fall asleep on you." I said, honestly. He chuckled, and shook his head.

"I would have stayed anyway. I'm glad you slept well." He said, simply. I saw his eyes shift toward the door and he sighed quietly. I was going to inquire as to why, but the next second, my question was answered when Alice came bounding in the door.

"Good Morning!" She sang, and skipped over to the bed. Alice gave my father a look and he raised his hands as if to surrender.

"You don't have to tell me twice, Alice." He responded to her and then turned to me. "I'll see you in a few minutes. What would you like Esme to prepare you for breakfast?" He asked while he stood up at an almost human pace.

"She doesn't have to make me anything. I'm not really that hungry." I lied. I really didn't want to inconvenience them more than I already was. Did vampires (other than my mom) even know how to cook? Highly doubtful. Alice was looking at me trying to hide a smile.

"Alice!" My father hissed. Then it was her turn to raise her hands in surrender. I could tell this whole mind reading thing was going to be a little annoying.

"You know I can't control where my mind goes. If you don't want to hear it, get out." She said, pushing him toward the door. He allowed her to.

"I still don't know what to tell Esme." He said simply as he was being pushed.

"Is french toast okay, Ness?" Alice asked me. French toast was actually one of my favorites.

"You guys don't have to make a fuss over me. An apple or banana or something would be fine too." I said. Alice closed the door after she had pushed my dad the whole way.

"Oh hush! French toast it is." She said. I'm sure my dad heard it, and went to tell Esme. I didn't say anything else about the topic. "So I looked through your stuff, I hope you don't mind—I think it'd be easier just to find you something of mine. You might be a little cold in any of your clothes." She said casually. I chuckled. This was another one of those fusses I didn't want them to make, but I figured it would have the same outcome as the whole breakfast situation, so I decided to save us both time and just go with it.

"Okay. What do you suggest?" I asked. She smiled, and she seemed a little surprised at my lack of resistance. She pulled me toward her closet. She opened the double doors and turned on the light switch before entering completely. I followed behind her and was amazed, but not necessarily surprised at how gigantic her closet was. I won't go into detail, but it was hands down bigger than her actual bedroom.

"Let me see. Your style is more cute and trendy. What about this?" She asked, grabbing a few different pieces from around the room and laying them in front of me. She grabbed a pair of maroon tights, a long sleeved dress that was mostly cream colored, with some small maroon designs on it, and a pair of brown boots.

"I love it!" I commented, and she clapped her hands together.

"Perfect. Well, I'll leave you to get ready. Your hair already looks flawless, and you really don't need any makeup. As soon as you're ready, just come downstairs and hopefully we'll have your breakfast ready." She kissed my cheek and then exited the room.

I got dressed relatively quickly. I felt like a robot, doing precisely as I was told, but I had never been in a situation like this where I wasn't completely comfortable. I looked myself over in the mirror. My hair looked pretty good, as Alice had said, and the outfit looked cute. As soon as I was done examining myself, I walked downstairs.

At the bottom of the stairs waiting for me was my father. He smiled as he saw me approach, and I blushed as always.

"You look very nice. I was hoping Alice wouldn't go overboard. She lives for this kind of stuff." He explained, and I smiled. In response to hearing him speak to me, Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper, who were sitting in the living room, called out a synchronized "Good Morning".

When I reached the bottom of the stairs, my dad led me in the direction of the kitchen. I probably could have found it myself, but the gesture was nice. When I walked in, Alice was sitting across from Esme at a medium sized island in the middle of the beautifully modern kitchen. She patted the seat beside her, and I walked over, sitting down.

"Good Morning, Dear." Esme said, smiling at me. She looked like she was almost finished with the french toast, which looked exquisite.

"Good Morning. Thank you for the breakfast." I told her. She shot me a dazzling smile, and reached to playfully hit the back of my hand.

"It's my pleasure. Believe it or not, I love to cook. I'm just glad there's finally someone here to enjoy it." She explained. She finished up my breakfast and set it in front of me. I thanked her and immediately began eating. Now that I was actually sitting here, I realized I was starving.

I heard my dad chuckle from beside me. He was now seated in the chair on my other side, watching me intently.

"What?" I asked, once my mouth was clear of food. He was still smiling, but he shrugged as if it were nothing.

"Nothing." He replied simply. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"I don't believe you for a second, but I'll drop it." I replied. This time, he and Alice both chuckled. Esme set a glass of milk in front of me and I thanked her. I wondered to myself why they had food and beverages in their house if they don't eat human food. They seemed pretty surprised when I showed up, so I don't think they were expecting me.

"Renesmee, I have some questions for you." My dad told me. He looked hesitant, and my stomach churned at the possible questions he could ask. "You don't have to answer them, but I am very curious." He ended, looking up from my food to meet my eyes.

"Okay. Lay it on me." I said, taking another bite of my food. His crooked smile emerged, and he looked like he was searching through his head for what to ask first.

"Could you tell me what led up to your little 'scheme' last month?" He asked. I thought for a little bit about how to answer.

"Well, I'll start with saying that I have always wanted to meet you—even when I was really really little, probably only like one or two. I started asking about you when I was five, but it wasn't until I was fourteen that she actually told me about you, and even then, it was the bare minimum. She wouldn't even tell me your name." I explained. He looked pained, and I considered stopping. I could see that my words were hurting him. When I hesitated, he looked and me and offered a slight smile.

"So if she never told you about us, how'd you find out?" He prompted me to continue. I sighed, but then smiled a bit as the memory came to me.

"Well, since she wouldn't tell me, I started asking everyone else. After asking for a while, I was able to smuggle some information out of Aro. He was really hesitant at first. He told me that your name is Edward, and that was the extent of the information that I could get out of him for about a year." I chuckled at the next part. "I never gave up on asking him. After a while, he gave in, so I learned almost everything from him. About ten days before my birthday, I had finally given up on ever getting the opportunity to meet you guys. I knew that my mom would never ever approve. I was really sad, so I went to talk to him about it because he'd understand better than anyone. He came up with the idea to send my mom away and bring you to Volterra, and helped make it happen." I finished.

"Sounds to me like you have one of the most powerful people in the world wrapped around your finger." Alice commented. I chuckled, and shrugged. I couldn't deny the truth in her assumption. Aro would do anything I asked him to at this point.

"Can you tell me more about your childhood?" My dad asked. I nodded and tried to think of what I could tell him.

"Well, it wasn't much of a childhood. I grew extremely fast. My mom's pregnancy only lasted a month—I mean, well I guess you'd know considering my birthday was last month, and all." I babbled. He smiled at me adoringly, and I got back to my story. "Anyway, well I stopped growing when I was seven, but by the time I was five, I looked like I was fifteen. As far as my actual experiences, I was a pretty happy kid. I was pretty spoiled. Nobody ever had the opportunity to spend time around any kids, so everyone adored me." It was crazy to think back that far. I remember when Alec and Jane would argue over who got to read to me. That was obviously a long long time ago.

"I was homeschooled when I was younger. I've never really had that much experience with being around actual people." I admitted. Alice looked sympathetically at me. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I've had experience with people. I wasn't like locked up in the castle or anything. I'd go out fairly often, but most of the time, my mom would be with me, so we couldn't go out when it was sunny. I think some of the only times my mom wasn't with me was when I went to my piano lessons. She would make up excuses so she wouldn't have to take me." I added.

"When was your mother changed?" Alice asked. I was pretty sure that was another question of my dad's but he didn't want to ask.

"When I was born. My delivery, I guess you could call it, wasn't normal by any means. I wasn't born like a normal baby. I had to rip my way out of my mom's stomach. If she hadn't been changed, I would have killed her." I admitted sadly. I knew it wasn't my fault, that was just the way it was done, but I still felt bad. I was glad she hadn't been alone when I was born.

"So you were the one who changed her?" My father asked.

"No. I'm not venomous. My mom has a theory that only male hybrids have venom, but it hasn't been proven. It was Aro who changed her." I explained. "He was very intrigued at the fact that he couldn't read my mom's mind, and thought she'd be a good asset to the Volturi. She didn't go there asking to be changed. She just didn't want me to be alone and didn't know where else to go." I added. Once again, the guilt that I felt practically knocked the breath out of me. My mom loved me so much, even before I was born. I missed the loving, caring mom that I had before all of this, but I already love the Cullens. I didn't know what side to chose.

"Believe it or not, Jane was the one who put up the biggest fight. She felt threatened that her power didn't work on my mom. _Obviously_ , she's over it now. My mom never had any reason to be afraid of Jane, seeing as Jane's power was useless against her, so she and Jane became friends. Before that, I'm not sure Jane had many friends. She says its because everyone is afraid of her, but now I'm thinking that it may just be her personality." I was still mad at Jane. I may be confused about everything else, but I was not confused about Jane.

"She seemed pretty protective of you, Ness." Alice added. I shook my head.

"That's because my mom is her best friend, and she was used to protecting me. I have a feeling she was only ever nice to me for my mom's sake. She didn't want to lose her only friend." I added, bitterly. My dad chuckled at me. "It's not funny. She almost killed you after that first day. No, actually, I take that back. She almost killed you after the first few words you spoke to me." I thought back to the sarcastic comment he'd made at my attempt to introduce myself.

"I'd be furious too if I ever heard someone talk to you like that. I'm ashamed at myself for being so horrible to you. I'm—" He began, but I cut him off.

"I know you're sorry. You don't have to apologize." I told him, but he didn't look settled.

"I feel like I should though. My actions were inexcusable." He said. I rolled my eyes. Alice took my empty plate from in front of me, and stuck it in the dishwasher.

"Well, luckily or maybe unluckily for you, I'm not my mom. I forgive you." I said, hopping off my chair and hugging him. He seemed a little surprised at first, but quickly wrapped his cold arms around me, hugging me back.

"Aww, what a tender moment between father and daughter." I heard Emmett comment from the doorway.

"You're such a buffoon. You ruined the moment." Rosalie told him. I felt and heard my dad chuckle at them. He pulled away from me, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.

"It's okay, Rose. I don't think anything could ruin this moment." And with that, the line between right and wrong became even more blurry. As much as I missed the mom that I used to have before everything went down with that ball, I don't think I could bring myself to regret my actions—not when I was so perfectly content in the present.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **So, when I was planning the chapters, I was going to post this one in a back to back post (like this on Saturday and the next on Sunday), but I sort of blanked and didn't have time to write both, so I hope this will do for now.**

 **I'm pretty sure the next chapter is long. It will contain the phone call and more action ;)**

 **Please review. Goal is 575. Some ideas…**

 **1\. Thoughts on the chapter**

 **2\. Predictions**

 **3\. Questions (not anonymous)**

 **4\. Unrelated: Suggestions for the next story I should write. It'll be Twilight, Bella/Edward.**

 **Until next time, Taylor**


	26. Learning Lessons

**Disclaimer- All recognizable characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer, and therefore not mine.**

* * *

Renesmee's POV-

 _"It's okay, Rose. I don't think anything could ruin this moment."_

Almost immediately after the words left my father's mouth, the phone on the wall started to ring, and I remembered what my next task this morning would be. I tried to hold on to the happiness I had just been feeling, but I came to realize all too soon that it had quickly disintegrated.

"I spoke to soon, didn't I?" My father asked, sensing my disappointment, and trying to lighten the mood. I cracked a small smile. Esme answered the phone, and had a brief conversation with Tanya Denali. Esme mentioned that I had come to visit, and I could hear the phoniness of Tanya's enthusiasm through the phone. She tried to disguise it, but she didn't have me fooled. Maybe she wasn't so oblivious to Jordan's infatuation with me as she had let on in Volterra.

The phone call ended soon enough, and I sat silently on my chair. I knew it was better to just call and get it over with but I really, _really_ didn't want to. Alice began tapping her fingers rhythmically on the countertop, and the sound brought me out of my thoughts.

I sneaked a peek up at my dad, and he looked like he was uncomfortable. Alice looked like she was lost in thought, but behind her I could see Jasper trying to hide his grin as he looked at my dad.

"Knock it off, Jasper. You're making it worse." My dad said in a partially annoyed tone.

"That's kind of the point." Jasper joked, smiling. Alice slapped his chest with the back of her hand, and as she went to pull it away, he grabbed it and pulled it to his lips. She tried to hide her smile. It was adorable. I got to know everyone pretty well in Volterra last month, but now it was much better because, despite everything that had happened, everyone seemed much more relaxed. Everyone but my father, that is.

"Okay, I give up. What am I missing?" I asked, my happier mood returning. I liked watching everyone interact. It was still a little surprising to see everyone acting like a true family.

"Renesmee, I think…that maybe…it might be a good idea…to possibly…call your mom?" He said, although it sounded more like a question.

"See, now that wasn't so hard—" Jasper started, but my dad cut him off.

"Shut up, Jasper." He said. Emmett chuckled.

"Watch it, Eddie. You don't want to teach your daughter to use that kind of language." Emmett snickered. My dad cracked a smile.

"Shut up, Emmett." I mimicked with a smirk. His booming laugh turned my smirk into a full blown smile, and I laughed.

"Took the words right out of my mouth." My dad chuckled.

"Are you sure you wouldn't have added a few maybe's?" Alice asked, referring to his nervous request for me to call my mom.

"Oh, no. Don't you start you start, too. Why am I being attacked?" My dad asked, and I could see him slightly pout.

"Oh, stop your pouting, and get used to it. We missed out on 100 years of Dadward jokes because of your dumb ass." Emmett responded. My dad shot him a glare, but I burst out laughing.

"Really, Em?" He questioned.

"Dadward? That's clever." I praised. Emmett shot me a wide grin, and I saw the corners of my father's mouth pull up.

"Well, I'm about to be Deadward if you don't call your mom soon." He responded. Despite his words, I was still feeling happy, and decided to push my luck.

"Is that a suggestion or an order?" I asked, remembering how nervous he was to bring it up earlier. I think I caught on a little bit to why he may have been uncomfortable. Like he said last night, he's new to the whole father thing, and I'm a hundred years old. He didn't know that I was used to playing the part of the child. I'm capable of thinking and acting like an adult, making my own decisions, and caring for myself. However, seeing as I'm at constant odds with my human nature which told me to be a sixteen year old girl, it was more natural to just give in and play the role of the teenage daughter. I also did so for the sake of my mom. She let me know through both her words and actions since I was very young that I would always be her little girl, no matter how old I was. She liked being a mom, so I let her care for me, and advise me. At least, that's how it used to be.

Everyone was waiting for my dad's response, but he clearly didn't want to answer. He knew I was joking, but he was being careful about his boundaries. His eyes looked like they were pleading with me to not subject him to this.

"I don't know." He answered. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"So you're not forcing me to call her?" I inquired. He gave me a look, but didn't say anything. "So you _are_ forcing me to call her?" I asked, smiling. He groaned.

"I'm not forcing you to do anything, but…I think you should call her." He said.

"What if I don't want to?" I asked, smirking. Everyone was smiling at our exchange, and Jasper and Emmett were laughing.

"Why are you doing this?" He half-asked, half-groaned at me, putting his face into his hands.

"Because you said you said you don't know how to be a dad, so this is lesson number one." I answered. He removed his hands from his face and tried to hide a smile.

"Which is?" He asked.

"You're supposed to tell me what to do" I answered. "Granted, I might not always listen, and I may chew you out for it, but I still need to hear it. I don't know if you've noticed, but I don't always make the best decisions on my own. So what do you say?" I challenged. He raised an eyebrow at me, and a small smirk escaped his lips.

"I say, call your mother, Renesmee." As much as I didn't want to actually follow through, I had already turned the situation into a lesson, and it probably wouldn't do much good if I didn't listen to my father's first official command.

"Okay." I sighed, and hopped down from my chair. I walked over to the phone and entered my mom's cell phone number. It went straight to voicemail and I felt relief wash over me. "Well, she didn't pick up so…" I started.

"Try Aro's phone." My dad told me. Great, so that was the plan. Try everyone's phone until someone picked up. Ugh. I dialed the number, and waited a few seconds before someone answered.

"Hello?" I heard Aro speak. I immediately was hit with a wave of panic. I could barely breathe. I couldn't even imagine what my reaction might have been if it was my mom answering. Then, I was hit with a wave of calm and I sent Jasper a thankful look.

"Hi Aro. It's me." I said quietly. I heard silence on the other end of the phone for a few seconds and wondered if he heard me.

"Renesmee? Oh my goodness! Are you okay? Are you safe? Everybody has been frantic trying to find you." He finally spoke. I felt bad that everyone was worrying. I hadn't considered that before.

"Aro, I'm fine. I actually called to talk to my mom. Can you get her?" I asked. I but my lip nervously, and twisted a finger around in my hair.

"Renesmee, your mom's not here. We don't know where she is." He admitted, and I grew worried. "We assume that she's out looking for you." He finished. This new information caught me off guard. She was looking for me? I felt my heart start to race at the thought.

"She didn't say anything?" I asked. Everyone else was sitting around the kitchen silently, listening in to the phone call. My dad looked like he was about to grab the phone from my hand, but was fighting with himself not to.

"No. When she heard that you were missing, she left almost immediately. She didn't tell anyone she was leaving." He explained. I tried to take a deep breath, but it came out uneasily. My dad immediately stood from his chair, and came to stand by me. I thought he was going to take the phone, but he simply moved so that he was standing next to me, rubbing my back in an effort to comfort me.

"Well when was that?" I asked, starting to panic again.

"Last night." He answered. I didn't even know what to say. This conversation was going nothing like I expected it to. "You know that I adore you, Darling, but you messed up this time. Running away is never the answer. You should have seen your mother in the few minutes before she left. She was distraught." I closed my eyes tightly, and a tear rolled down my cheek. My dad quickly wiped it away. "Renesmee, where are you?" He inquired.

"I'm with the Cullens." I answered in a defeated tone.

"Ahh, I thought the number looked familiar. What were you thinking, Renesmee?" He asked me. I ran a hand through my curly hair and laid my head against the wall.

"I don't know! She wasn't talking to me, and she was acting like I didn't exist. I tried to talk to her, but she freaked out. It was like she wasn't even my mom anymore, so I left." My voice grew increasingly quieter as I finished my sentence, knowing that my reasoning wouldn't make sense to him. I heard a few quiet noises through the phone, and I almost hung up when the answering voice wasn't Aro's anymore.

"That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, Renesmee." I heard Jane say. I rolled my eyes. "She was upset, as she is allowed to be. You shouldn't have left." She finished.

"Well nobody really asked you, Jane." I replied defensively.

"Would you two knock it off? This isn't helping anyone." Alec's voice said to us both. "Ness, I think this time my sister may actually have a point." I rolled my eyes again, and sighed. "I know you well enough that you're probably rolling your eyes, but listen to me for a second. Your mom loves you more than anything. You _know_ that." He told me.

"Alec—" I started.

"No, Ness. Listen to me. You're letting your human nature get the best of you. I know it's unintentional, but you need to stop and really _think_ about what your doing. I could understand the wanting to meet your family thing. You were curious, just as anybody would be…but this? Ness, you were wrong this time." He finished. I was starting to grow annoyed and I just wanted to hang up the phone.

"Is there a point to this other than to just make me feel bad? I already feel bad enough without listening to you tell me about how wrong I was." I felt Jasper send another wave of calm my way.

"Ness, you and your mother have been a part of our family, for lack of a better term, for a hundred years. We care about you both, and I don't want to see you two fall out because of something like this. You were both in the wrong. She should've been a little more understanding, but she had a reason to be upset. There are things that you don't know—things she never told you for the sake of your own protection. You don't know the whole story, Ness, so please promise me that you won't make anymore rash decisions. When you see her, you need to apologize. For now, just stay put. She's probably on her way." He finished. Again, I'm hearing that there's stuff I don't know. I don't really know what else could be that important that it would change anything.

"Okay." I replied with an annoyed tone.

"I'm serious, Renesmee. Promise me that you were actually listening to what I just said." He pushed. I rolled my eyes.

"I promise, Alec! I wont do anything stupid. I'll stay put. I'll apologize, and I'll stop letting my human nature take over my mind." It was silent for a few seconds.

"I guess that'll have to do for now. Be safe." He told me. I sighed, and looked around the room. Everyone was still listening intently.

"I will." I said before hanging up the phone, and burying my face in my dad's chest, letting the the tears freely flow from my eyes to his soft shirt. Looks like it's time for lesson number two.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Okay, so I ended up splitting this chapter up so that I'd be able to update today. I hope you're not too upset with that. I can't say when the next update is. I'll probably have the next one written by Wednesday because I don't have school Tuesday, but next weekend, I'll have no time to write so I might not be able to finish another chapter before the following weekend, leaving a week and a half gap between those updates, and considering the content of the next chapter, I'm 200% certain you'd hate me if I did that.**

 **Review goal is 620. Let me know:**

 **1\. If you think I should update as soon as next chapter is written or just wait until the weekend.**

 **2\. Favorite part of this chapter.**

 **3\. Predictions on next chapter/chapters after that.**

 **4\. Suggestions/Questions**

 **Until next time, Taylor**


	27. The Truth Exposed

Renesmee's POV-

Lesson two was relatively short lived. I didn't know how to feel about what I'd heard on the phone. I was surprised that my mom was so worried, but at the same time it made me feel sort of happy, as messed up as that is. It showed that she still cared at least a little bit, and after realizing this, I felt guilty. Even Aro and Alec, my loyal confidants, told me that I was wrong. I guess this time, I really did mess up. Then when that realization occurred to me, I felt even more confused. I was wrong, but at the same time, I had never felt more loved and appreciated. How can that be?

Between all the confusion and emotions building up inside me, I couldn't help but burst with tears. So I spent a few minutes crying into my dad's shirt, while he did his best to comfort me. He seemed to have gotten a hang of that lesson pretty quickly because it only took a few minutes to calm me down. After that, we ended up seated in front of his piano in an open room off to the side of the living room.

"Will you play me something?" He asked me.

"I suppose so. I'm really not that good yet. I've only had a couple lessons." I told him, my voice still rough from crying.

"That's not true. I'm not sure if you remember that time when we accidentally ran into each other and you showed me your thoughts, the ones about you and my siblings at the mall. Well, when you did, I heard you playing. You were extraordinary, Renesmee." He explained.

"Well, thank you, but I'm pretty sure you're just saying that because you have to." I joked. He chuckled and shrugged.

"I guess that's partially true." He admitted, and my jaw dropped in shock. I scoffed jokingly, and he laughed. "Wait! Wait, not in the way that you think. Let me explain." He said, a wide smile on his face.

"Please do." I joked.

"When I first heard, I thought you were amazing." He said, and I dramatically rolled my eyes. "Stop it, I really did." He insisted.

"Then what changed?" I prompted.

"Well, I found out that you're my daughter, and then I thought back to it, and…I couldn't even begin to describe how extraordinary that simple memory made me feel." He explained, holding my hand in his, and pulling it to his lips. "You know my mother played the piano. She was amazing at it. I used to love listening to her play. When I told her that I wanted to learn too, she was over the moon." He smiled at the memory, and I hung on to his every word. "My father had a conflicting opinion, but that's no matter. We were never particularly close, so I didn't really care all too much." He explained.

"You didn't get along with your father?" I asked. I liked learning more about him. I felt like beyond the obvious things like him being my father, I really didn't know that much about him. "Why was that?" I inquired. I saw him close his eyes and his jaw clenched. Maybe I shouldn't have asked. A second later, he sighed and opened his eyes again to look at me. They were pained.

"Because he was never around." He said, before turning his gaze back to the keys of the piano. "He was always working or out with his colleagues. My mother and I were never a priority of his." He admitted. My heart went out to him. I knew how it felt to be unwanted, and it sucked. "A long time ago, I promised myself that if I ever was given the blessing of a child that I would be there for every second possible. I hoped to be the father that mine never was…so much for that thought." He looked crushed. I really wished I wouldn't have asked now. I didn't know how to help.

"Dad, please don't think like that. You didn't know." I reminded him. He shook his head.

"It doesn't matter though. It's still my fault. I'm so sorry, Renesmee. I never would have left if I knew." He said, catching me off guard. I tried to think about the words I'd heard, considering that maybe I had heard him wrong.

"You wouldn't have left?" I asked, not understanding. He immediately shook his head, and looked at me again.

"No, of course not! It was hard enough to leave in the first place. Ugh, I'm such an idiot! All I ever wanted to do was protect her. I just wanted your mother to be safe, and happy. I'll never forgive myself for what I told her." He admitted and I felt like I had literally been punched in the gut. I could barely breathe. I could feel the anger boil inside me and I did nothing to try and contain it.

"I'm sorry—What the hell did you tell her?" I yelled at him, standing from the seat and glaring. He looked like a dear caught in the headlights as he realized that I hadn't known that little tidbit of information. He began to reach for my hand, but I stopped him. "Don't you dare." I growled. He looked even more pained than I had been him before, including the time in Volterra. He was silently begging me with his eyes.

"What's going on in here?" Esme asked. She was accompanied by almost everyone else with the exception of Carlisle. My father still hadn't said anything, and I grew even angrier. I grabbed the collar of his jacket, and pulled it toward me.

"What the hell did you do to her?!" I cried. I felt a wave of calm hit me, but I was not having it. "Knock it off, Jasper!" I growled at him.

"Renesmee, please understand. I never wanted this for her." He spoke. I let go of his jacket and glared at him.

" _This_ as in me?" I questioned. His eyes grew large and he realized his mistake.

"What? No, no, no. That's not what I meant!" He defended.

"Then please, feel free to enlighten me." I said sarcastically. I didn't care who he was. I didn't care what I thought about him up until a minute ago. I was outraged, and there was no trying to hide it.

"The lifestyle, Renesmee! I never wanted this life for her. I just wanted to her to be able to live a normal, human life. I wanted her to be safe, but there was no hope of that being possible while I was still around. I needed her to let me go." He finished. I felt Jasper subtly trying to get me to relax again, and I would have yelled at him if I weren't too busy flipping out on my father.

"What. Did. You. Do?" I seethed. He swallowed hard, and I looked around the room to see if anyone else would tell me. They looked almost as annoyed as I was.

"Don't look at us. We've never heard this part. Feel free to enlighten us as well, Edward." Alice spoke. She had her arms crossed across her chest. I turned back to him, and he was staring at his shoes.

"I—I told her that I didn't want her anymore." He admitted, and I felt like my heart shattered. I could feel the tears coming to my eyes again, but this time, I knew I was on my own. I turned toward the door, but before I could take a step, my dad's hand was on my arm. "Renesmee! Please stop." He begged. "It was a lie—I swear it! You know how much I love you both." He pleaded, but I shoved his arm off.

"Get the hell off of me! No wonder she kept me away from you. You're a monster!" I screamed. I sprinted out the door, and immediately took to the forest. It would take too long to get a car, and I didn't want to risk anyone seeing me running on the roads. I didn't know which way I was headed because my head was all fuzzy, but I didn't want to stop running to find out.

I didn't pay attention to my surroundings. My head was filled with a thousand competing thoughts. All this time, my mom was only trying to protect me. She was trying to avoid having to subject me to the heartbreak that she felt. She even lied to me so that she wouldn't upset me when I became curious about my dad. All this time, she was trying to protect me. She must have really loved me, and that realization killed me.

I remember the first year of my life far more than I wish I did. My mom was depressed every day. She sobbed every night, and could barely function. He left. He left her pregnant, and broken. Then, she finally managed to pull herself together. Everything she'd ever wanted was pulled from under her, but she pushed aside the hurt for my sake. And what do I do? I leave! What the hell is wrong with me? Oh my gosh! Why did I ever doubt her. She has done everything for me! Jane was right. I am a horrible person. All I ever do is hurt people.

I kept running until I stopped in a very small clearing, and just broke down. I fell to the ground and cried into my hands. I had made a huge mistake, and I could never take it back. The damage was done.

I was so caught up in my crying and sad thoughts that at first, I didn't even hear the other person as they walked into the little clearing in front of me. Up until I heard the crunch of some leaves about ten yards in front of me, I thought I'd been alone. My anger boiled, and I looked up expecting to see my dad, and I was surprised when I saw a young boy that I'd never seen before.

He looked to be a little older than me, and he was tall. He had dark blonde hair, and startling, bright red eyes. I could feel my heart start to race when I noticed that feature. He was smiling nicely at me, but there was something in his eyes that made me feel uneasy.

* * *

Edward's POV-

I watched as Renesmee sprinted from the house, leaving myself and the rest of my enraged family behind. I wanted to follow Renesmee, but I knew that was a slim chance now. I decided to try anyway, and stood from my seat. As soon as I was standing up, Alice shoved me back down.

"Oh no. You stay right here. We're not done with you!" She yelled at me. I'd never gotten around to actually telling them what I'd told Bella when I left. They assumed that I told her the truth—that we were leaving for her safety, and that as much as I loved her, it was too dangerous to be together.

"Alice, please. I need to talk to her. I need to make her understand before I lose her forever." I begged. She loosened her death grip on my shoulder but didn't let go.

"You never told us that you said that stuff to Bella. That's sick, Bro." Emmett added. He was mad, but his usual laid-back attitude showed through anyway.

"Because I'm ashamed for what I said. It was all lies anyway. You guys know that better than anyone." I told them.

"It doesn't matter, Edward. Bella obviously believed you. She's spent the past hundred years, raising _your_ kid, thinking that you just hit it and quit it. Do you even comprehend how hard it's going to be to win her back now?" Rosalie added.

"If she even gives you the chance! Oh my gosh! She probably thinks the same of all of us. That's why she was so pissed at all of us in Volterra. Not only did we leave, she assumed that we all wanted nothing to do with her." Alice whispered, her voice barely audible. "You idiot!" She yelled and would have punched me if Jasper hadn't grabbed her first.

"Stop, Alice. Edward messed up—" He gave me a look and communicated in his mind that he was just as pissed as the rest of them. "—But Renesmee's really hurt, and as angry as she is, I'm sure killing him won't solve anything." He finished. She let go of me, and I went to stand up again.

"Edward." Esme said, as I was about to head out the door. "Please make things right. I don't think I could bare to lose them again." She spoke softly. I nodded and took off into the forest, following her scent. It was easy to follow, and I hoped that with her decreased speed, I'd be able to catch up to her. I kept running, much farther than I had expected to go, and it was only when my surroundings became increasingly familiar that I realized where I was.

 _Forks._

I kept running, pushing myself to go faster. Her trail was leading in the direction of La Push, and the thought forced my feet to move faster. I ran and my heart sank when I reached the treaty line, and could smell that her scent continued straight in the direction of the town. I could feel myself start to panic. Here I was, standing at the treaty line, and for all I knew, my only daughter was being ripped to shreds by overgrown wolves.

I paced back and forth, trying to reason with myself. I was torn. On one hand, my daughter could be in danger as I just stood here thinking, but on the other hand, if I crossed the border and started a war, I would be guaranteeing that she's in danger, but at least then I could protect her.

Then a thought occurred to me. She's part human. They claim to protect humans. Maybe they won't hurt her. The hope that came from the thought was weak, but it was something to hold onto. Carlisle also had a theory that the wolves only shifted in the presence of vampires, and we haven't been around, so maybe there weren't even wolves anymore. Maybe the line of wolves died out. Maybe the treaty wasn't even valid anymore. The uncertainty was killing me. I decided to just take a seat on a nearby rock and wait for her to come back.

I tried to listen to see if I could hear her, and to my surprise I could. I could hear her crying, and I was ready to pull my hair out as soon as I heard her. I wanted nothing more than to run to her, and make her feel better. It killed me that I had been the cause of her distress. All of this is my fault. Maybe I should just let her be. There's a chance I could make it worse if she was really as angry as she seemed back at the house. I stood from the rock, intending to run back when I heard a familiar voice and the thoughts that came with it. Before I could control what I was doing, I was running past the treaty line, in the direction of my daughter.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **So most of you said to update as soon as I got the chapter written, so here you go! I've never updated in the middle of the week, so hopefully I get the same kind of feedback. In the past, I've gotten significantly less reviews and hits because people are too busy, but I hope that's not the case.**

 **Review goal is 660. I know you guys can do it!**

 **Tell me:**

 **1\. Thoughts on the chapter! —Nessie finally knows the truth! Thoughts?**

 **2\. Predictions! —Who is it? What will Edward do? WHERE IS BELLA?**

 **3\. Suggestions: Basically have the rest of this planned out, but throw an idea out and if I pick it up, I'll credit you. Also throw out some possible story ideas. I'm thinking another Bella gets pregnant story (with a completely different storyline) or maybe an A/H story with B & E in high school. I'm really thinking about all different storylines. **

**4\. Questions you have. I can only answer if you're not anonymous though.**

 **Until next time, Taylor**


	28. History

**Disclaimer- All recognizable characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer, and therefore not mine.**

* * *

Renesmee's POV-

I could feel my heart start to race faster as the mysterious boy took another step closer to me, and upon noticing my racing heart beat, he stopped.

"Hello." He spoke, stopping a few yards from me, and offering a small smile. His voice was kind, and his demeanor was friendly. I could feel myself start to relax a bit, but I still waited a few seconds before responding, not trusting my voice.

"Hi." I responded. His face lit up into a dazzling smile at my response for some reason. I cleared away the remaining tears from my eyes, never moving my eyes from him.

"I was just passing through when I heard crying. I thought I may have been mistaken. This is a long way from any of the roads." He told me. I narrowed my eyes.

"I wasn't aware. To be honest I'm not even sure where we are. I ran from Ovington. Are you familiar with it?" I asked, wondering if this boy could have come across the Cullens at any point.

"I know of it, although I've never been. I hope you don't mind my asking, but why are you crying?" He asked sympathetically. He seemed genuinely concerned which surprised me a bit. I watched him with skepticism, wondering what his intentions could be. I was still seated on the grass, and he took another step toward me.

"Don't come any closer." I warned, and he immediately stopped with a surprised expression on his face.

"I'm sorry." He said, his facial expression reflecting that I had offended him.

"It's nothing personal but…" I struggled to find words to say.

"You don't trust me. It's okay. I wouldn't expect you to." He said sincerely. He seems very nice, and I started to feel guilty for offending him before. "My name is Riley." He added, offering a small smile, which I met with a smile of my own.

"Renesmee." I said, standing up from the grass. I looked down at my outfit and brushed my clothes off, breaking eye contact.

"I know." He whispered in my ear from behind me. I hadn't noticed him move while I was brushing off my dress, and his proximity in addition to his words scared me. I turned to face him quickly, and he didn't stop me.

"What do you mean you know?" I asked, not hiding my suspicion. His facial expression was still soft, but his eyes looked more intense now.

"Miss Renesmee, or Nessie, I'm not sure which you prefer, I have heard a lot about you recently." He admitted, his eyes capturing mine. Even if I wanted to, I'm not sure that I could force myself to look away.

"Such as?" I inquired. He chuckled.

"That you exist." He responded simply, leaving me confused. My heart was still racing but I was entranced in our conversation.

"I'm not following." I admitted, and he smiled a menacing smile.

"My friend, Laurent—you've met him, right? Well, he told me all about the lovely Volturi princess." He continued. I wished he would just get on with what he was trying to say instead of confusing me like this!

"So you know my family?" I asked, referring to the Volturi. His face lit up with a smirk like he'd thought of something extremely clever.

"Both, in fact." He told me, and I understood his implication right away, but I was still surprised at his words.

"Excuse me?" I questioned.

"Laurent told me that you've recently become acquainted with your long lost family. Was he wrong?" He asked me. I could see in his eyes that he already knew the answer to his own question, and it seemed like he was just teasing me now.

"What do you want?" I growled, and his face flashed momentarily with anger before he composed himself again.

"Watch it, little girl. It was your family who started this mess." He warned me.

"I don't know what mess you're talking about nor do I care very much. What do you want with _me_?" I asked again with an attitude and his facade slipped again momentarily.

"Since you don't seem to know what I'm talking about, perhaps I'll enlighten you." He began, and I crossed my arms. "Once upon a time there was a beautiful girl named Victoria…" He continued.

"Cut the shit. I'm not a baby." I told him, and his eyes flashed with anger.

"Would you shut up?!" He yelled, frightening me. He no longer looked composed. Anger was written across his face. I got the feeling I should run but knew that it would be pointless, so I just closed my mouth. Riley sighed, trying but failing to compose himself. "May I continue?" He asked and I nodded.

"Victoria was the most perfect girl in the world. She was compassionate and witty and absolutely breathtaking. She was the love of my life…until your father killed her." He clenched his fists and the rage in his face was evident. I struggled to breathe.

"I knew of her history with the Cullens. I thought I could protect her." He let out a humorless laugh that sent a chill down my spine. "All I ever wanted to do was protect her." He shook his head, and his eyes grew angry again. "But your father took her away from me!" He yelled and I flinched. I took a step backward and he gave me a challenging look. He and I both knew that I wouldn't be able to outrun him. As fast as I was, he was still a full vampire, and he drank from humans which made him even more dangerous. I remained frozen in the same spot I had been and he continued.

"Victoria told me about the little human your father kept. It was because of her that everything started. She was the one who got Victoria's friend killed. Victoria was always too compassionate. She loved intensely, and for that she lost her life." He hesitated, and looked me in the eyes as he continued. "I spent years trying to find this pathetic human girl—A mate for a mate. Then I heard that she'd killed herself. God! You wouldn't believe how distraught I was! It seems silly now, but I was so upset that I'd lost the opportunity to make him suffer." His face turned into a twisted smile as he thought about what he'd say next. My stomach dropped. I knew where this was all leading and I could hardly breathe.

"Now, imagine my surprise when I find out that not only is this girl still alive, but she has a daughter— _his_ daughter. Naturally, I was ecstatic." He told me, smiling a genuinely happy smile. "My revenge plot was still plausible and I had not one, but _two_ opportunities to make him pay." He looked at me, taking in my reaction. I narrowed my eyes at him. This dude was crazy. I'm ashamed for thinking he was kind of cute earlier!

"I hate to break it to you, Bud, but you wasted your time. Edward Cullen doesn't give a shit about me or my mom, so you might need to get a new plan." I told him, going to casually walk by him in the direction of the Cullens' home. I knew it probably wouldn't work, but a girl can hope. He chuckled.

"I don't think so." He said, grabbing my wrist tightly and pulling me back.

"Let go." I seethed. This is one of those times that I warned Jane and Alec about where I could really use some self-defense tips. They assured me I'd never need to know how to fight. If only they could see me now!

"It's a pity how naive you are." He said before twisting my wrist hard. A gigantic shot of pain ran through me and I screamed. He released my wrist and I held it to my chest.

"You moronic asshole! Are you out of your mind? He left twice! He doesn't care about my mom or I!" I half-yelled, half-cried. I couldn't do anything with my wrist other than hold it. If I were human, my bones would probably be shattered. I hoped that with my tougher bones and skin that my wrist wasn't broken. I couldn't tell, but I knew it was extremely painful.

"Oh, Renesmee. It really is a shame that you'll never know the feeling of being in love." He told me, and I glared at him. "He proved his undying love for your mother by letting her go." He finished. I rolled my eyes.

"Even if that were true, hurting me won't get you anywhere." I told him, and as I thought about the reality of my words, I felt my voice growing shallower. "You'd probably be doing everyone a favor by getting rid of me. All I do is make everything worse." He smiled a sickly smile and took a step closer to me. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the pain I knew would be coming, but it never did. I heard a loud yell and I opened my eyes to me my father emerge from the woods and tackle Riley in a fraction of a second.

The sound of their collision sounded like thunder and I stumbled backward in shock. I couldn't bring myself to look away as they fought. Unconsciously, I felt myself holding my breath every time Riley got his hands on my father. I didn't know what to do. I'm not much help just standing here watching, but I knew I wouldn't be much help trying to help with my injured wrist. Maybe I could run away and get help! As mad at him as I was, I was scared at the thought of leaving my father alone to deal with Riley. Riley fed from humans, and I knew that would give him a big advantage over my father. I knew that was the best option though so I began to run in the direction of the Cullens' house.

Before I could even get to the edge of the clearing, my father was thrown into a tree, and Riley had a strong grip on my neck. My father stood up again to charge at Riley, but when he saw the situation in front of him, he stopped and I could see his tough demeanor shatter. He looked scared now.

"Leave her alone. This is between you and I, Riley." He spoke, and Riley chuckled.

"A loved one for a loved one, Edward. It's only fair, don't you think?" Riley asked rhetorically. Riley tightened his grip and I gasped for air.

"Please, Riley. You don't have to do this. Victoria was using you all those years ago. It started when I killed her true mate, James. You had to have noticed how touchy she was about mentioning him. It was because she loved him. Trust me, Riley. I know." He spoke.

"Victoria warned me of your mind tricks." Riley responded.

"Let her go, Riley. Take me instead. It was my actions that started this all." I could see the desperation in my father's eyes. I could see the love and the regret. It was so evident in his facial expression, and his tone of voice.

"Well, you see, that wouldn't be as fun. If I kill you, I suppose I'll get my satisfaction for a bit. Your family will suffer—that's a plus. But if I kill her, you and your family will suffer tremendously, and I have no doubt the Volturi will come for you all for her untimely death under your supervision. She seems like quite the prize. Do you see where I'm coming from?" Riley asked, teasing my father who looked like he could explode with rage. I heard a growl escape my father's chest, and Riley's grip on my neck tightened. I gasped for air, and managed a small squeal of pain.

"Please, please stop! She has nothing to do with this, Riley!" My father pleaded. Riley loosened his grip again.

"I can't tell whether I'm enjoying this or not. I love watching you suffer, but you're really making it much too easy." He taunted.

"Riley, let her go. I will do _anything_." My father looked defeated and helpless. I regretted the harsh words I had spoken to him, and the doubt that I had over whether he loved me. I couldn't bring myself to be angry over his actions, as horrible as they were. All I could see as I looked at him now was a loving father who was trying unsuccessfully to save the one thing he has left.

"Now that is quite an offer." Riley said, taking a few moments to think. I could hear my father growl, and before Riley said the words, I already knew what he'd be saying. "Unfortunately, I can't think of anything better than this."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **A lot of you guessed that the stranger was Riley, so good predictions! I loved Riley's character in the books and movies even if he was evil. I always felt so bad for him. I was actually going to make him into a love interest for Renesmee, but as I said before, this is a Nessie/Cullens & Bella/Edward/Nessie story, so no love interest. **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry for the wait! I'll keep writing and update as soon as I get the next chapter written if I get a good response on this one.**

 **Review goal is 700! (Can't believe it! You guys are so wonderful for getting Life Unexpected this far!)**

 **Sample topics:**

 **1\. Thoughts on this chapter—Thoughts on Riley, Nessie, or Edward? Thoughts on the content? Favorite part?**

 **2\. Predictions—Where is Bella? What will happen to Nessie? Other predictions?**

 **3\. Suggestions**

 **4\. Questions**

 **Happy Mother's Day! Until next time, Taylor**


	29. Reunited

**Disclaimer- All recognizable characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer, and therefore not mine.**

* * *

Bella's POV-

Every minute that I was stuck on that plane felt like pure agony. With nothing else to do, I found myself going through scenario after scenario of what could be happening with Renesmee at the Cullens and all of them ended in heartbreak. By the end of the flight I was even more enraged than I had been when I boarded. The Cullens are in for a very rude awakening when they see what I have planned for them.

The minute that I was free from the airport, I carefully maneuvered my way through the city, and as soon as I hit the forest, I took off running in the direction of the Cullens' house. It didn't take as long as I would have anticipated, and I briefly questioned if there was some kind of vampire equivalent to an adrenaline rush. As I approached the Cullens' home, several strong scents began flooding my nose, including my daughter's. I didn't hear her heartbeat though. When I finally made it to the house, I noticed that her scent was much weaker than the other few I smelled. I don't think that she was here anymore, but she definitely was a few minutes ago. Immediately, my mind thought back to the possible scenarios I had envisioned on the plane, and I prayed that she was okay.

I barged into the home, nearly taking the front door off its hinges, and took in the surprised looks of all but one of the Cullens. Thankfully, that one happened to be Edward. Surely if he were here, I would have absolutely torn him apart.

"Where is she?!" I yelled to nobody in particular. Half of them looked too stunned to speak, and the other half looked like even if they tried, nothing would come out. If it were any other time, I would love to marvel in their shock, but not now. I just want to get my daughter and go home.

"Bella—" Alice started to speak, but I already knew that whatever she was about to say wouldn't be about Renesmee, so I cut her off.

"Spare me from your sentimental bullshit. I'm here for my daughter, so tell me where she is." I growled and she looked hurt. I tried to push away the part of me that felt bad for being so mean to her.

"We don't know, Bella." Rosalie spoke, which surprised me a bit. She'd never gone out of her way to speak to me before. I looked to her, and her face no longer held the hatred it once had. I lost my train of thought for a split second.

"What do you mean you don't know?!" I yelled again. Alice composed herself and spoke again.

"We're not sure where she went. All we know is that she ran out and…" She hesitated momentarily. "Edward went after her." I didn't miss the way that she spoke the last sentence. Something had happened, and it was clear that neither she or the rest of the Cullens were happy about it.

"Why?" I hissed, referring to why Renesmee would have run out. I looked at Alice, and she looked heartbroken. She let out a sob and I began wondering if I really wanted to know.

"We're so sorry, Bella." She whispered, her eyes staring at the floor. "We had no idea what he'd told you." Her eyes met mine and I felt like a two ton weight fell on my chest. A thousand thoughts were running through my head, and I almost felt dizzy. I pulled myself together and the reality of her words, and the implication that they brought hit me.

"She knows." I said in a barely audible voice, and before I knew what I was doing, I was out the door and sprinting through the forest. Renesmee's scent was weak, so I gave up and began following Edward's. For the first time, I actually hoped that he was with her. I could hear a multitude of other footsteps running behind me, but I ignored it. Right now my only focus was on finding my daughter.

* * *

Renesmee's POV-

"Unfortunately, I can't think of anything better than this." Riley said smoothly, his hands still locked around my neck. No! This can't be the end! _Think Renesmee!_ I grabbed his arm and sent a vision of pure darkness to him like I had with my father when we were training. He was momentarily disoriented, and I elbowed him in the gut to try to get away. He let go, but I couldn't get away fast enough before he threw me to the ground, my head slamming against a rock.

"You little bitch!" He said and stomped on my leg, snapping it. I let out a scream. My vision was fading quickly but I could see my dad running at Riley. However, before he could get to him, Riley was hit with something, or maybe I should say _someone_ , else.

* * *

Bella's POV-

I could hear Edward's voice, and another unfamiliar voice speaking as I was running, and I pushed myself to run even faster when I realized their topic of discussion. I listened as Edward pleaded with the man to spare her and take him. I began to panic as I realized that I was going to be too late.

"Unfortunately, I can't think of anything better than this." The man's voice spoke. No! I heard a small commotion and my heart shattered. "You little bitch!" The man yelled and I heard a crack and my daughter's scream. I could see them now. Renesmee was on the ground holding her head, whimpering in pain. At that point, my supermom senses, as I liked to call them, kicked in and before the man even knew what was coming, I was holding his head in my hands while his body laid motionless on the ground.

Immediately after, I dropped the man's head and ran to my daughter. Edward was kneeling beside her already, talking to her. I was torn. Not five minutes ago, I wanted to kill him—hell, I still wanted to kill him, but the sight before me was sort of sweet, and the things I'd overheard him say just a minute ago made me think that maybe he really did love Renesmee.

"Renesmee, honey, you have to stay awake. Do you think you could do that?" He asked her. She nodded, still whimpering in pain. Tears stained her cheeks, and my heart hurt just looking at her. My poor baby girl. How could I have let this happen to her? Her eyes flickered over to me, and her bottom lip started to quiver. I knelt down to her level.

"Mom." She spoke, barely loud enough to hear. She began crying again and I put my hand on her cheek, wiping her tears. I kissed her forehead, and put my hand on the side of her head. I could feel and smell the blood on my hand, and I knew that we needed to get help. This one wouldn't heal on its own.

"Shh, baby. It's okay. Everything's alright." I said, kissing her forehead. Tears continued to roll down her face, and she closed her eyes. "Sweetheart, don't close your eyes. You have to stay awake. We need to get you help. Just stay awake until we know you're alright." I told her and she opened her eyes again. In the next moment, she was carefully being lifted into Edward's arms.

"I got her." He told me, and even those few words took me by surprise. I looked at my daughter in Edward's arms, and decided not to protest. She looked so broken. Her head laid limp on his chest, and her hands folded across her stomach.

"You two can take her to Carlisle. We'll finish up here." Rosalie said. I had almost forgotten about the others that had followed me. I turned and saw she and Emmett standing near the remains of the man, and a small fire I assume that they started. I nodded at them and motioned for Edward to start running in the direction of the Cullens' house.

He immediately took off, and even though he was carrying Renesmee, I struggled to keep up. We eventually made it back to the house and he immediately ran up the stairs, yelling for Carlisle. I followed him, figuring it to be a better option than staying in the living room with Alice, Jasper, and Esme.

Carlisle asked what happened and Edward explained to him in detail. Meanwhile, Carlisle examined Renesmee's injuries, asking her a question every so often until he told her that she could go to sleep. He told us that her wrist was sprained, but was healing quickly enough that she didn't need a splint, her right tibia was fractured, and would require a cast for a short while, and her head injury was going to need to be monitored for signs of a mild version of a concussion. The cut that it left had already healed by the time he examined it. Throughout his entire examination of Renesmee, I had spoken less than a few words to Carlisle and hadn't so much as looked at Edward. Rather, I focused my attention on Renesmee. I whispered soothing words in her ear, and stroked her hair until she fell asleep. I missed my baby girl.

Currently, Edward and I were seated on opposite sides of Renesmee's makeshift bed in Carlisle's office. We didn't speak at all. Rather, we both just watched Renesmee sleep and kept to ourselves. I couldn't believe that after a hundred years of building up my anger, the best I could do was give him the silent treatment. I decided not to think about it. Rather, I tried to make sense of the past month, going back to Renesmee's party. I was so confused. I've spent the past hundred years telling myself that I wanted nothing to do with any of the Cullens and none of the Cullens wanted anything to do with me only to find out that I may have been wrong all along. I didn't know what to think anymore.

I began thinking about the way that I'd shut out Renesmee after finding out what she'd done. Thinking back, I realized how immature and truly despicable I had acted. I'm her mom. I was supposed to be there to care for her and love her unconditionally. I was supposed to protect her from anything and anyone who tried to hurt her, and look where we are now. I had failed.

I heard Renesmee shift a bit in her bed, very briefly whimpering in pain, and mine and Edward's eyes both shot up to look at her. She was still sleeping, but she had a frown on her face. I moved my chair closer to her and lifted her shield, taking her hand in mine. When she's sleeping, she has no control over whether she lets her thoughts show, so in the past, I've often taken the opportunity to see what she's thinking and dreaming about. I could feel Edward watching me, but I tried my best to ignore him.

Her thoughts came to me like I was experiencing them first hand, just like they always did. Riley—that was the man's name—was circling around Renesmee telling his story about Victoria, and his revenge plot. It made my skin crawl just seeing it in her mind. I also saw Edward attack Riley, and experienced what Renesmee saw and felt when I'd been overhearing Edward pleading to spare Renesmee. I could feel the love that Renesmee felt for Edward, and I felt uneasy. There was no denying it anymore.

Her dream transitioned into what I assumed were memories that she had while she was here at the Cullens. I was surprised at what I was seeing. They all seemed to adore her. Of course that wasn't the part that surprised me. It seems that everyone adores Renesmee. It did surprise me to see how easily they seemed to accept her, and how if I didn't know the whole story, I would probably look at them and think that Renesmee had always been a part of their family. Again, throughout these memories, I could feel how much she really loved them, but this time the sense of hurt was more obvious. She felt betrayed, but at the same time, she loved them. At least I wasn't the only one with conflicting thoughts and emotions.

She began stirring more as she recalled she and Edward's argument earlier today when she'd discovered the truth about him leaving me. This dream quickly transitioned into a different kind of dream, not one made of memories. Renesmee was standing in the middle of a dark room with two doors on opposite sides. On one side stood the Cullens with Edward standing in the front smiling a crooked smile at her. Even just seeing his crooked smile through Renesmee's dream was almost enough to make me stop breathing. On the other side of the room was me and the rest of the Volturi members with the exception of Jane. Renesmee looked from side to side between the two doors and I could feel her panic. I watched as tears started to roll down her cheeks, and I quickly pulled my hand away, not wanting to see anymore of her dream. I wiped her tears from her face, and Edward swiftly stood from his chair and walked into the hallway.

I looked to where he had just been sitting and noticed that a chunk of table beside the table he'd been sitting in was missing. By the way it had cracked, I could tell he'd broken it. I guess he had seen all of that too. I'd actually forgotten about his little ability to read minds just now. Oh well, other than that last part, it wasn't anything he hadn't seen before.

* * *

Edward's POV-

I quickly stood up before I accidentally broke anything else. I didn't even notice how hard I had been gripping the table until it cracked. I hoped Carlisle wouldn't be too angry. I walked into the hallway, and before I could even make it to the stairs, Alice stopped me.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"Downstairs." I responded plainly. I tried to walk by but she pushed me back.

"Oh no you aren't. Get your ass back in there!" She told me and I looked at her like she'd grown three heads.

"Alice—"

"No. Man up and go be the father and mate that you want to be." She told me. I rolled my eyes at her.

"They both hate me, Alice." I explained, but she didn't look convinced.

"Well then go make it better. Make them not hate you." She suggested.

"Alice, all of this is my fault. It's not that simple." I ran a hand through my hair like I always did when I was nervous.

"So you're just going to give up? It's too complicated so you're just going to stop trying?" She pushed, and I sighed.

"Of course not. I just think—"

"Stop thinking and just do. You overthink everything and look where it's gotten you." She pointed out, and I had nothing else to say. She had a good point. "Go be a father to Renesmee and a companion to Bella. Actions speak much louder than words. Go prove to them that you're worth it." She finished, and I could feel Jasper sending calming waves in my direction.

"Thanks Alice." I told her, and she raised an eyebrow at me.

"Don't thank me just yet. I'm still pissed at you." She said, and quickly turned in the opposite direction of me. I chuckled quietly. I quickly and quietly walked back into Carlisle's office and took a seat in my chair. Bella briefly looked up when I entered, but looked back toward Renesmee when I looked at her. I didn't say anything to Bella. As much as I wanted to talk to her, I knew it would make the situation worse. I wish more than anything right now that I could just read her mind.

I looked back toward Renesmee, and took her hand into mine, tracing patterns on the back of it. She gripped it in hers and I wondered if I had woken her, but her heartbeat was still smooth and steady. The three of us remained like this for another hour before Carlisle came back into the room. He walked in, and upon noticing the situation, he began thinking about how he'd hoped Bella and I would have been talking.

"What's wrong?" Bella asked him, a look of panic on her face. Carlisle cracked a small smile.

"Nothing. I just came back to check up on her." He answered and Bella relaxed a bit. It was still odd seeing her in mom mode. I never thought that I'd get to see her like this.

"Should I wake her up?" Bella asked him as he looked over her.

"No. She's fine as she is. There's no need to wake her. I can't imagine she'll sleep much longer, but it's good for her to rest." He answered. I looked down at Renesmee and it looked as if she was chewing a piece of gum.

"What is she doing?" I asked to nobody in particular. Two seconds later I got a response.

"Ugh, biting her cheek. She does that sometimes when she's tired." Bella responded.

"Oh." I responded, and I could hear Carlisle laughing at me in his head.

"That's interesting. Is there a reason she does that?" Carlisle asked. I was wondering this too, but I didn't want to force her to talk to me. She seemed uncomfortable. Bella cracked a small smile.

"Ugh, yeah. When she was a baby, I used to lightly trace over cheeks when I was putting her to bed, and she used to try to bite my finger. Now, every once in a while, she'll sort of bite on her cheek if she's tired or sleeping." She explained, and hid my smirk. I wondered if the whole biting thing was a vampire trait.

Carlisle ended up leaving a few minutes later, leaving Bella and I sitting in silence once again. I snuck a look up at her. She was looking down at Renesmee with sad, almost black colored eyes. She needed to hunt. Her face had barely changed since it had been human. Her nose was a little sharper and her lips a bit fuller, but still pretty much the same beautiful girl I remembered. I wasn't sure how long I was staring at her. I couldn't get myself to look away.

"I don't hate you." She said, snapping me out of my trance. She wasn't looking at me, but I felt as if I was being studied.

"What?" I asked, stunned. I wondered if I'd heard her correctly. She looked up from Renesmee momentarily.

"You gave me a reason to live." She said, referring to Renesmee. "I could never _really_ hate you." I wondered what she meant by 'really hate me'. I decided it didn't matter and allowed myself to smile a bit. "Don't misunderstand my words. You are not forgiven—Not by a long shot…but I don't hate you." She finished. My optimism faded a bit, but this was a start. She didn't hate me. That's a step in the right direction.

"That's good to know." I responded. She didn't say anything after that. After about a minute passed, I already missed the sound of her voice and decided to keep talking. "Bella, I want to apologize." I said and I heard her sigh.

"For?" She prompted, and if the situation weren't so serious, I may have chuckled. I hesitated before answering.

"For putting you in danger when you were human, for forcing you to grow up much quicker than you should have needed to, for not being there for you and Renesmee, for leaving…For making you think that I don't love y—"

"Stop." She cut me off. I decided that any talking was better than nothing.

"I mean it, Bella." I told her.

"I know you do." She answered, taking me by surprise. I didn't know how to respond to that. She glanced up at me and must have seen that I was confused because she continued. "I know everything that you told Renesmee. In fact, now that I think about it, it actually makes sense." She let out a humorless laugh and bit her lip. "With that being said, believe it or not, I think that you leaving may just be the best thing that could've happened to me." She finished. I had to admit, her words really hurt. She really thought that? I couldn't tell if she was just deflecting her hurt or if she was serious. She seemed serious.

"I'm sorry you feel that way." I responded sadly.

"Please stop." She said, once again confusing me. "I'm not saying this to hurt you. I'm just trying to be honest with you. If you're going to be a part of her life, I need to be able to trust you. I need you to be honest—no more secrets, no more lies." She finished, and this time I couldn't hide my smile.

"You'd really let me be a part of her life?" I asked. Bella ran her hand through her hair and sighed.

"Well, as I'm sure she's told you a million times, it's not really up to me." She said in a defeated tone. "She's still my daughter though and I will do everything in my power to protect her, so let me make myself clear—" She leaned forward in her seat and gave me a menacing look. "—If you _ever_ hurt her even a fraction of the way that you hurt me, you're cut." She finished, and for a second I couldn't breathe. I couldn't tell if I wanted to run away from her, or kiss her.

"Mom?" Renesmee asked in a sleepy voice. Bella immediately directed her attention to our daughter, the menacing look melting into a look of adoration for Renesmee.

"I'm here, baby." She said, touching Renesmee's cheek lightly. Immediately, Renesmee tried to sit up, and Bella helped her. Renesmee through her arms around Bella, and Bella stroked her hair.

"Mom! I'm so sorry!" She cried into Bella's hair. "I'm a horrible child. You've done everything for me, and I betrayed you. I'm so sorry, Mama. Please forgive me!" She begged. I could see Bella smile, and try to soothe Renesmee.

"Shh, it's okay. Please don't cry, Sweetheart. I'm not angry anymore. I think I actually owe you an apology." She said, and Renesmee quickly pulled away from her.

"No, you don't. You—"

"Renesmee." Bella cut her off. "I'm sorry I got so angry with you. I responded all wrong. No matter how upset I was, there was no reason to act the way I did. You're my daughter, and acted like you didn't even exist. I promise to never let my emotions get the best of me like that ever again. I'm so sorry." She said, and Renesmee pulled her into a gigantic hug.

"I don't know what I would do without you. You are the best mother I could have asked for. I love you so much." She told Bella. I thought that maybe I should leave. As much as I really enjoyed seeing them interact, I felt like I was intruding. Renesmee pulled away and she then noticed me sitting on the other side of the bed. She quickly looked between her mother and I, and looked at me like she was confused.

"Now that I know that you're okay, I think I'm going to hunt really quickly." Bella said, diffusing the silence.

"I'll go with you." Renesmee offered, and Bella chuckled. It was a beautiful sound, her laugh. I wanted to hear it again.

"Honey, I'm not sure if you've noticed, but you have a broken leg." Bella pointed out, and Renesmee noticed the cast on her foot for the first time. "Rest, Renesmee. I'll be back soon." Bella kissed her forehead, and went to walk away, but Renesmee quickly grabbed her hand, not saying anything. Bella half-smiled, and I was momentarily confused before Bella responded.

"Don't worry about me, Renesmee. Whatever you decide, I'll love you just the same." Bella responded, and I understood that Renesmee was showing Bella her thoughts. "Renesmee, I promise that as long as you're happy, I'm happy." Bella went to walk away again, but Renesmee didn't let go. "Ren!" Bella chuckled and I smiled at the nickname. Bella rolled her eyes. "We'll make it work. I love you." She said, and Renesmee let go of Bella's hand.

"I love you too." She mumbled, and Bella left. Almost as soon as Bella left, Alice and Rosalie entered to check up on Renesmee. They stayed for about thirty minutes which was about thirty minutes too long. I just wanted to talk to my daughter alone. Last time we really talked, we were fighting and she ran out. Thankfully, Rose and Alice finally left and I was left alone with her.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked her. She bit her lip, much like Bella does and shrugged.

"Stuff." She answered.

"Like your chat earlier with your mom?" I asked.

"Partially."

"I assume that chat was about me?" I questioned. She tried not to crack a smile, but it showed through.

"She's not very subtle." Renesmee chuckled.

"I'm sorry, Renesmee—" I started to say.

"What were you two talking about?" She cut me off. "I heard you two talking. I thought I was dreaming, but I wasn't." She said.

"We were talking about you." I answered simply. She rolled her eyes jokingly.

"Well I figured as much. What about me though? What did she say?" She pressed.

"It's complicated."

"Uh-uh, no keeping stuff from me. I don't handle secrets and surprises really well in case you couldn't tell." She told me. I grinned at her.

"Renesmee, I want to be a part of your life." I told her, honestly.

"What does my mom think?"

"I'm not really sure what she's truly thinking, but she said that I can't lie or keep secrets and that I'd be dead if I hurt you—None of which I plan on doing." I explained, and she smirked.

"Does that mean you won't leave and tell me you don't love me anymore when I'm being difficult?" She mocked, and I gave her a disbelieving look.

"Why would you say that?" I asked. She knew that wasn't okay to say.

"Because I'm still deciding whether to forgive you or not, so in the meantime, I'm getting back at you for treating my mom like shit" She explained, and smiled. I leaned back in my seat and sighed.

"I guess I deserve it."

"No question about it, you do. Then again, so do I, so I guess I can't be too harsh." She said, and turned around to readjust her pillows before laying back down. "So did you tell her you love her?" She asked. Okay, I guess we're not going to beat around the bush anymore.

"Sort of?" I answered.

"Explain." She responded.

"I said I was sorry for making her think that I didn't love her." I looked down at her and she shrugged.

"That sort of counts." She decided. I chuckled—That's what I just told her. "How are you going to prove it to her?" She asked. I raised my eyebrows. "No ideas yet? I'll help you think of something." She told me.

"No." I said sternly.

"What? Why not?" She asked.

"Renesmee, sweetheart, I love you, but your schemes don't seem to work out very well." I told her.

"Touche." She smirked. "Okay, I won't get involved, but you need to do something to win her back." I chuckled.

"I thought you weren't sure if you were going to forgive me." I joked, and she slapped my arm.

"Stop being difficult. I'm trying to help you. You obviously need it." She said, smiling.

"Renesmee, I think that her letting me a part of your life is a pretty good first step. I'm not pushing my limits." I told her, and I heard movement from the doorway.

"Good decision." Bella said, smirking. "I hope you weren't scheming again, Renesmee."

"Of course not." Renesmee responded in an innocent voice. "You'll be pleased to know that he was responsible and told me that my scheming is a very bad idea." She explained. Bella smiled at our daughter.

"And we see how well that worked out." She said with a smirk. Nessie flashed a dazzling smile at her mother, and Bella came over to kiss her forehead. After that, Bella took a deep breath, and looked like she was having trouble saying the rest of what she wanted to say.

"So…um, the plane for Italy leaves in a little over an hour." She said, and I could feel the atmosphere of the room grow tense. Bella bit her lip and looked in my direction. "I trust that she'll be safe under your supervision for the next few days?" She finished, and once I determined that I had in fact heard her correctly, I felt like I could jump over the moon.

"You mean it, Mom?" Renesmee asked her with what I hoped were happy tears in her eyes. Bella offered her a small smile, but I could tell that this was really hard for her.

"You're obviously in no condition to travel and I'm trying to be openminded, so yes. There is some things I need to work out in Volterra, so for now, I trust you'll be okay here." She explained, and Renesmee and I both had smiles that spread across our entire faces. Bella quickly alternated looking between Renesmee and I. "Don't make me regret my decision." She said, her gaze ending on me. I nodded at her. She then turned to Renesmee. "Stay safe, behave, Listen to the Cullens…except for Emmett and maybe Alice. Be good." She told her, and Renesmee gave her an amused and questioning look.

"Really?" She asked. Bella smiled a bit.

"Yes, really. Lately you've been acting much younger than your actual age, so I feel like it's necessary to be mentioned." Bella told her. I watched as Renesmee subtly looked between Bella and I and grabbed onto Bella's hand.

* * *

Renesmee's POV- _This means Renesmee's thoughts_

I grabbed my mom's hand before she walked away. I needed to get this out before she left. She is stubborn as hell, and needed to make the decision on her own, but I hoped that if she had time to think about it, things would turn out better in my favor.

" _Mom, I can see that you still love him, but if that's not what you want, it's okay. I can see it is though. Please don't let your stubbornness get in the way. I wasn't there and I certainly don't know everything about what happened, but I know that you love him. He loves you too._ " _I_ showed her through my thoughts. She sighed.

"Ren—" She started. I didn't want to clue my father in to what we were talking about, so I cut her off by showing her my thoughts again.

" _No, Mom. Listen to me. It's okay if that's not what you want—It truly is, I promise. I just don't want that decision to be based off of anger and your own stubborness. You deserve to be happy. I want you to be happy more than anything._ " She pulled her hand from mine slowly and bit her lip.

"It seems I have a lot to think about." She responded. "I love you, Renesmee. I'll see you soon." She promised, and walked in the direction of the door. "Goodbye Edward." She said quietly, not turning around, but she was gone before he could respond. Well at least they were on speaking terms. That's a start.

I didn't miss the happiness on my father's face when Mom actually spoke to him. It was like he was staring at a goddess. It was hard to imagine that he was the one to leave her. He was completely entranced by her. I just hoped that soon she would feel the same about him, for both of our sakes.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **First of all, super long chapter, so I hope you'll be generous with your reviews, although I'm also a little scared. If there were any chapter that I'd expect a few flames on, it'd be this one. I know some of you will hate the fact that Bella didn't rip out Edward's throat, but please don't cuss me out or anything. She's still mad at least!**

 **Review goal is 745. Sample topics:**

 **1\. Overall thoughts on the chapter.**

 **2\. Favorite part or parts?**

 **3\. Thoughts on the interaction between Bella/Edward/Nessie? (You can be honest if you didn't like it, just don't be cruel.)**

 **4\. Predictions or suggestions**

 **On my profile page, there is a new poll about what you want the next chapter to be about. There are two options. Go check it out!**

 **Until next time, Taylor**

 **P.S. I bite on my cheek when I'm tired for the same reason that Bella explained that Nessie does, so that's where that idea came from ;)**

 *****I didn't spell/grammar check this at all, so if you see an error, let me know.**


	30. Baseball

**Disclaimer- All recognizable characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer, and therefore not mine.**

 **A/N: Sorry it took me longer to update. There is a whole list of reasons that contributed, but I won't bore you. Also, I totally messed up the last poll that I thought I put up. It was supposed to be about what you wanted this chapter to be. It's still up on my profile but its too late to actually implement the results. Let me know if you want the other option to be an outtake or something. Here's the chapter.**

* * *

Bella's POV-

I returned to Washington earlier than I had originally anticipated. I had accomplished everything that needed to be said and done in Volterra already, and figured that I missed my baby girl too much to wait around for another two days. This time when I boarded the plane, I felt a little less anxious than the first time I had settled in for a trip to Washington, but not by much. I trusted that the Cullens would keep her safe. The longer I was away from her, the more I began to second-guess my decision, but I tried my best not to freak out.

When I had finally reached the Cullen home, Alice was already waiting with the door open for me. She offered me a smile as I walked up the stairs toward the door.

"Hi Bella. Welcome back." She said. I nodded politely at her as I walked through the door. She closed it behind me, and we walked to where almost everyone else was. Of course Renesmee was missing from the group. That would have been too ideal.

"Where's Renesmee?" I asked.

"Nessie's with Edward." Emmett informed me, but it took me a moment to get past the nickname.

"Nessie? Like the Loch Ness Monster?" I asked. Emmett shrugged and chuckled. Rosalie looked worried, and almost ashamed.

"Sorry. It's just a nickname we came up with because Emmett is too lazy to just call her by her actual name." She spoke the last part accusingly toward Emmett, and he put his hands up as if to surrender.

"In my defense, Renesmee is sort of a mouthful." He said, and Rosalie flicked his ear.

"Ignore him, Bella. If you'd prefer, we can stop calling her that. Renesmee is a lovely name. Esme's really honored. She smiles every time somebody says Renesmee's name." Rosalie spoke, very nicely I might add. I shook my head.

"No need. It just caught me off guard, that's all. Everyone's always just called her Renesmee, or sometimes I call her Ren, but most of the time it's just Renesmee." I explained, and she nodded, seeming genuinely interested in what I was saying. "So…where did you say she was?"

Rosalie looked to Emmett and Alice, unsure of herself. It was odd coming from her.

"Umm…I think Edward was planning on taking her to your old meadow, assuming it's still there. He was talking about it the other day, and she said she wanted to go." She informed me.

"Oh, okay. I think I'll go check. Anybody want to come?" I offered. They all cracked a smile.

"Nah. Edward thinks that place is sacred. He'd get mad." Emmett explained, keeping his eyes glued to a game on TV. I looked to Alice to see if what he said was actually true and she nodded. I shrugged and walked out, running in the direction of the meadow. I didn't remember exactly where it was, but I could pick up on Edward's scent, so I just followed it. Soon enough I found myself close enough to the meadow that I could see them.

They were seated near the middle of the meadow. Edward was leaning back onto his hands with his legs stretched out in front of him while Renesmee was leaning against his right side. They were both smiling. It was sort of heartwarming.

"So what happened after that? You can't just stop there!" Renesmee yelled playfully at him. He smiled a dazzling smile, and kissed the top of her head.

"I promise I'll tell you later. For now, I think someone wants to see you." He told her and she looked confused. I guess he'd heard me coming. I walked into the clearing of the meadow and this time Renesmee noticed. Her eyes lit up and she quickly got up from the ground and ran to me. It didn't escape my notice that she was limping ever so slightly, but I think Edward looked worried enough about this fact for the both of us.

"Mom!' She yelled as she ran into my arms. "I'm so glad your back! I missed you." She said, and I weaved my arms around her.

"I missed you too, baby." I told her as I hugged her closer to me.

"Wait! You're home early, aren't you? I thought you said two more days." She pointed out.

"Yeah, well I finished everything I needed to do, and I missed you, so I decided to just come back early." I explained.

"Did everything go okay?" She asked and I shrugged.

"Ehh, it went about as well as I thought it would." I answered and she rolled her eyes. I brushed a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Oh, stop. You know Jane. She's just protective of us." I defended, and tried not to recall some of the harsher words spoken in Italy. Jane was not happy that I was giving the Cullens a second chance.

"Well that's not exactly the word I would have used, but whatever." Renesmee responded, sounding like a stereotypical teenage girl.

"So what's the plan for tonight?" I asked, trying to change the subject. Edward was just now reaching where Renesmee and I were standing after walking over.

"We're playing baseball!" Renesmee exclaimed, but Edward was quick to cut her off.

"Maybe. Carlisle still thinks that your leg needs a little more time to heal." He told her and she pouted.

"I'm fine, I swear." She told him as if it was the fiftieth time she was repeating it.

"Ren—" He started.

"I swear I'm okay. My leg feels perfectly fine! You don't need to worry so much." She told him, and although he didn't say anything, you could tell the conversation wasn't over. At least I'm not the only one at the receiving end of her sass. "Are you playing, Mom?" She asked me, and I could hear Edward chuckle before he could stop himself. I almost smacked him.

"As fun as that sounds, I think I'll just watch. I've never been very good at sports." I said, trying to hide my smile. Renesmee looked between her father and I.

"Am I missing something?" She asked, and I smiled a bit, shrugging.

"I think everyone will be interested to see which parent you take after." I told her, unintentionally implying that she could play tonight. She caught on though and immediately turned to Edward.

"Ha!" She laughed at him, and he chuckled at her silliness.

* * *

Bella's POV-

I sat in the grass on the edge of the clearing watching as the Cullens and Renesmee prepared to play baseball. The thunder hadn't started yet, but Alice predicted that it was coming very soon.

Somehow Renesmee had talked Carlisle into letting her play. She has been excited all day, but now she looked frightened as she practiced her swing and listened to the rules.

"What's wrong, Sweetheart?" He asked as he placed a baseball cap on her head. She shrugged.

"I don't know." She said. He looked concerned and frustrated. I lifted her shield and Edward looked over to me with a small smile on his face before looking back to Renesmee.

"No need to worry. I'll help you." He told her. He showed her how to correctly hold the bat and how to position herself on the plate. The thunder started, and she practiced her batting with him guiding her through the motions for a few minutes. Once she seemed to get the hang of it, the game began.

Renesmee was on a team with Edward, Emmett, and Alice, and the other team was Rosalie, Carlisle, Esme, and Jasper. Renesmee's team was in the field first. She played catcher while Alice pitched and the other two were in the outfield.

She seemed to pick up the catcher position much quicker than she picked up hitting before. She was doing really well. I could tell she was still very nervous about batting though. I could tell because her heart was racing as she approached the plate.

"It's okay, Sweetie. Just do your best." Esme told her from her spot at catcher. Renesmee took a deep breath and held up the bat. The pitch came and she swung just slightly over the ball. She pouted.

"It's alright. You got the next one. Hold your back elbow up higher." Edward told her, and she listened, still pouting. The next one came and she swung again, but this time, she made contact with the ball. It flew to the outfield, just short of the woods and dropped. Jasper and Rosalie ran after it and Renesmee just stood there still surprised she hit the ball.

"Run, Ness!" Alice told her, and she took off, rounding first base and making her way to second.

"Looks like in this case, she takes after Eddie-boy." Emmett commented and Edward half-glared, amused by the comment, but not the nickname.

I continued to watch Renesmee run. Her speed still caught me off guard. She was very fast. As she approached third, I saw panic spread across her face as she tripped over her feet and fell. I immediately shot up, and went to her. When I reached her, Edward was already there.

"Are you okay, Renesmee?" He asked, and she started laughing.

"Yeah, I'm good, although I think Emmett might be eating his words right about now." We chuckled and helped her up. After that, Renesmee took a break to eat. Edward had thought ahead to pack her food in case she got hungry, so Renesmee and I just sat watching the Cullens play baseball while she ate.

"So I guess it's safe to say you've had a good time?" I asked her and she nodded, smiling a bit. She took another bite of her sandwich and I looked up at Edward. My head hurt just thinking about what to do. He broke my heart—No, he completely shattered my heart, and he left. For over a hundred years, I had to raise our daughter by myself, or at least without his help. He deserves my wrath, and a lot more…

But then again, I see him with Renesmee and my heart melts. He is a very good father whether he thinks so or not. Then there's the fact that every time he looks at me or smiles I get butterflies. And he still loves me. He wants me. I know I want him too, despite everything, but was it too soon?

I know that we'll eventually end up together. It's inevitable. We're mates and we have a daughter together. We're bonded forever by Renesmee. It would be easier just to say that I forgive him, and to start our life as a family, but then what do I make of the past hundred years of pain and suffering? There's no easy decision here.

I looked back down at Renesmee and saw her smirking at me.

"What?" I asked, suddenly feeling vulnerable. Had she just caught me ogling Edward? I hoped not. I knew what her vote on the decision was, and this wasn't doing much to help me.

"Oh nothing…" She said, sipping some water, and giving me a suspicious side-eyed look. "Have you thought at all about what I said?" She asked nonchalantly.

"Ren—" I began.

"I'm sorry. I just can't help but notice that you keep looking at him." She defended herself. I sighed.

"That doesn't mean anything." I responded.

"I know, I know. I was just wondering. I'm sorry for asking." She told me. We sat and watched the game in silence for a little while longer before I began speaking again.

"To answer your question, I have been thinking about it…a lot actually." I admitted and I saw her try to hide her grin.

"Am I allowed to inquire?" She pressed, and I looked down at my hands which were sitting in my lap.

"I don't know what to do, Renesmee. I really don't." I told her.

"You're thinking about it though?" She asked, smiling, and I smiled a bit at her very happy expression.

"Well it's hard not to. I like that you two get along so well. I wasn't sure that you would." I explained. She took my hand in hers.

"I know that nothing can erase the past, and a hundred years is a long time to suffer for, but I just want us to be able to move on. I know it's not the same for me as it is for you…but if you think about it, he's always loved you, so he's been suffering too. At least you had me." She said, and I gave her a look that symbolized that she should stop talking.

"Okay, okay. I'm done. I just want you to know that I'm happy, and I want you to be happy too, whatever or whenever you decide." She finished, and smiled. I hugged her to my side.

"I love you, Ren. I missed my happy girl." I told her.

"Ness, are you done yet?" Emmett called from the field. Nessie shook her head.

"You guys keep playing. I think I'm just going to watch with my mom." She told them.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Again, sorry it took longer to update. There's been a lot going on in my life recently in addition to the fact that I can barely type with the long ass fake nails I have on, so yeah.**

 **I split this chapter in half so I could update sooner, so I hope this is sufficient for now.**

 **Review goal is 785. Let me know your thoughts, favorite part, questions, predictions, or suggestions.**

 **Sorry for any spelling mistakes. As I said, these fake nails are impossible :/**

 **Until next time, Taylor**

 *****I graduate in 2 days, ahhhhhh.**


	31. Second Chances?

**Disclaimer- All recognizable characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer, and therefore not mine.**

 **A/N: My parents surprised me with a trip to Nashville for graduation (speaking of which, I GRADUATED!), and I didn't have a computer. I'm sorry it took me forever to update. If I would have actually known about my trip, I could have updated prior to leaving. I promise that the lack of an update had nothing to do with the amount of reviews.**

* * *

Bella's POV-

The next time that I took my eyes off the game and glanced down, Renesmee was fast asleep. How she fell asleep despite the thunderous booms of the baseball game was beyond me. I stroked her hair and continued to watch the baseball game for a while longer. Eventually the thunder stopped and the game came to an end.

I would have been fine carrying Renesmee back to the house, but Edward insisted that he would. He laid her in her bed and left while I picked out some pajamas which she quickly put on before collapsing in her bed. She fell asleep again fairly quickly and I leaned against the wall which was across from her bed, just watching as she slept.

A while later, Edward returned. He took a position similar to mine, leaning against the same wall a few feet away from me. It was silent for a few minutes, and it began to feel awkward so I broke the silence, speaking low enough so that I hopefully wouldn't wake Renesmee.

"I used to think you were crazy for watching me sleep, but now I get it." I told him. He smiled a bit.

"She doesn't talk in her sleep as much as you did." He commented, and I was a little surprised.

"What are you talking about? She talks in her sleep all the time." She spoke often enough that I didn't always need to be holding her hand to follow along with her dreams.

"Not nearly as much as you did." He responded. I didn't know what else to say. I felt incredibly embarrassed. I was really glad I couldn't blush anymore. All I would ever dream about when I was human was Edward, and if I spoke more than Renesmee, he would have obviously known that. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you." He said.

"You didn't." I responded, and the silence returned. About an hour later our conversation started again.

"Bella, I'd really like to apologize again. I am so incredibly sorry for what happened between us." He told me. I sighed.

"I know you are, Edward." I responded.

"I don't feel like I'll ever be able to tell you enough, though. It was the biggest mistake I've ever made." He explained to me. I didn't really know what to say, so I didn't say anything. After a few seconds, he spoke again. "Do you really think that me leaving was the best thing for you?" He asked, his voice clearly showing how hurt he was by my remark. I smirked.

"In a way." I responded. He was visibly even more upset now. He wasn't watching Renesmee anymore. Rather he was staring at the floor. I rolled my eyes. I thought I would enjoy this a little bit more, but I sort of felt bad. I decided I would clarify what I'd meant to him. "Edward I think I know you well enough to conclude that if you had stayed, Renesmee wouldn't be here." I told him, and instead of looking sad, he looked ashamed. "If I hadn't been changed, I would have died. Even after being bitten, Aro wasn't sure if it would work. A matter of seconds could have been the difference between dying or changing, and knowing what I know now, I don't think you would have taken that chance. Am I wrong?" I asked, and he shook his head. "So, yes. I really do think that my life was better because you left." I concluded.

"Even after a hundred years, you know me so well. I don't understand why you'd believe anything that I said to you when I left." He told me, and it was my turn to feel a little ashamed. "I told you a hundred times every day that I loved you and all it took was one time saying that I don't, and you believed me."

"That can't be all that surprising. I never thought that I deserved you, so in my head it made sense that you wouldn't want me." I replied. He shook his head.

"Bella—" He began, but I stopped him, and lifted my shield.

 _"She's listening"_ I told him in my thoughts. I looked to him and he looked amazed.

"Goodnight, Renesmee." I said, and I heard her grunt and roll over. Edward and I exited the room, figuring we'd watched her enough. We ended up going back to his room which didn't look like it'd changed all too much. The decorations were more modern, but still very similar.

"Could you do that again?" Edward asked from behind me.

"Do what?" I asked.

"Lift your shield." He clarified. I scoffed.

"No." I told him, and turned to see his reaction. He didn't look like he was going to give up.

"Please, Bella." He asked again.

"Why?" I asked. He took another step closer to me.

"I just want to understand…Please." He asked again. He was standing very close to me, too close for comfort, and I slowly pushed him back a bit. He looked a little hurt, but quickly covered it up. Neither of us said anything for a few seconds.

"Maybe we should just talk first." I suggested and he smiled.

"I can settle for that." He responded and we both took a seat on his black leather couch.

* * *

I must admit, once we got past the initial awkwardness, talking with Edward was actually kind of nice. We mostly talked about Renesmee, but we also talked about what's gone on in my life and his. While talking with him did help me get a better idea about the future and possibility of a relationship, I still didn't quite open up as much as he wanted me to. I could see his disappointment when I avoided some of his questions, but he was respectful and didn't pressure me to open up more. We only talked for about an hour before I could sense the awkwardness between us coming back.

After talking with Edward, I decided that while I was in Washington, I might as well visit Forks. I hadn't been in Forks or heard anything about Forks since I was human over 100 years ago. I felt very guilty knowing that I left my father all alone without a goodbye, but it was what needed to be done. I always hoped that he'd found someone, and lived a long happy life, but I never traveled back to find out.

I wasn't even sure that I would find anything in Forks. It's possible that after I left, Charlie moved somewhere else. He was never one to show his emotions, but I know how heartbreaking and scary it is to have a child run away. If anything would have happened to Renesmee, I don't know what I would have done.

As for my mom, I figured that someday I would find out where she got to. She was never one to stay in one place, so I didn't even know where to start. Perhaps there would still be some record of her obituary. I figured I'd start by trying to find out what I could about my dad, so I took a trip to Forks while Renesmee was sleeping.

The run didn't take long, but I spent a while just walking around the town before going to the cemetery. It had grown quite a bit in the last century, and had nearly doubled in size. It was still small, but much more to my liking. My old house was still there but it was clear the exterior had been renovated. I didn't spend a lot of time looking at it. The cemetery was only about a five minute walk from my old house, just down the street from the current Forks High School.

As soon as I entered, and took a look around at all of the headstones, a chill ran through me. I wondered if there would be any other names I'd recognize as I searched for my dad's. I didn't really know where to look, so I just walked and searched. I came across a few names I seemed to recognize. I'm sure there were others that I should have recognized, but not all of my memories of my human life were as clear as they had been after I had first been changed. The only names I really recognized were Michael and Jessica Newton, and Tyler Crowley. I probably knew others, but it had been much too long ago.

I eventually came across my father's headstone and was surprised to see my mom's with it. 'Here lies Charles B. Swan, loving husband and father,' and 'Renee A. Swan, loving mother and wife' I read. For a few seconds, I couldn't even think. What was I seeing? Renee _Swan_? Charlie, a loving husband? So they remarried? How did that happen? I had all of these questions now, and no way to get my answers.

So if Renee and Charlie remarried, that must mean that she and Phil split up. I suppose that could have happened. The age difference made things a little weird sometimes, and they argued fairly often. They both agreed that Forks was miserable, but I suppose my mom was always sort of defensive about Charlie. She seemed happy with Phil, but it did seem like there was always something missing.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **First and foremost, so sorry for the long wait. As I said, I didn't have access to a computer because I was on a trip.**

 **Second, I'm super disappointed in this chapter. I already know it's not my best work, so no need to say that you don't like it. I had it in my original plan, and just didn't know how to bridge the gap between 2 different parts of the story. Sorry, I hope this didn't ruin your overall view of the story.**

 **Third, coming home from vacation, I went to Chicago and was jumping for joy. I was like Edward Cullen lived here! :P **

**Review goal is 810. Sample topics:**

 **1.** **Predictions**

 **2\. Should I write the conversation between Edward and Bella as an outtake?**

 **In my original plan, there's one more chapter and then an epilogue, but knowing me, I'll split the next chapter up. It's pretty long. Anyway, that means this story is getting close to the end, which means that I hope if you haven't already, you'll add me on your fave authors/author alert so you can see the next story I write. You can also leave reviews about suggestions for that next story. I already have some ideas, but if an idea catches my eye, I may change my mind ;) There's also a poll on my profile to vote on some of my ideas for the next story.**

 **Until next time, Taylor**

 *****PM with questions. Remember, I can't reply to anonymous reviews. Also you can follow my fanfiction twitter TaylorFFiction to ask questions and get updates.**


	32. Forgiveness

Bella's POV-

I stayed the whole night in the cemetery just thinking of all of the possibilities that could have happened. I tried looking up an obituary, but the small tidbits of information I found didn't provide much useful information. I found out that my parents had, in fact, remarried, although it didn't say when. They lived in Forks up until their deaths, where Charlie worked at the police station and my mother taught at the elementary school. The only truly surprising piece of information I found was that I had a younger half-brother named Isaac. Knowing my mom, the name choice wasn't a coincidence and I was flattered that she would name her child after me.

Even after finding the information that I could collect online, I still felt like I wanted to know more. I thought about seeing what I could find at the Forks library, but I would have had to wait a few hours for it to open, and Renesmee would probably wonder where I'd gone off to.

I decided to just return back to the Cullens' house. By the time I got back, there was a good chance Renesmee would already be awake. I would definitely return to Forks to see what I could find in the library in the near future. I'm sure Renesmee would enjoy coming with me as well.

When I got back to the house, all I could hear was the sound of piano playing. I followed the sound and came to find almost everyone listening as Renesmee and Edward alternated back and forth playing short bits of improvised music.

As soon as I entered the room, Edward noticed immediately and our eyes met, and he offered a small smile. His attention was quickly brought back to Renesmee when she spoke to him. They continued playing, while I watched from the edge of the room.

It didn't occur to me right away, but in the few minutes that I watched them playing together, I didn't feel any resentment. Rather, I felt uncharacteristically calm. Maybe it was the soothing sound of the piano, or the joy that radiated off of my daughter (and her father for that matter), but I actually felt sort of happy. I continued watching for a few minutes, in what seemed almost like a dreamlike state, until I left a light tap on my shoulder.

I turned quickly to see Rosalie standing behind me looking very…un-Rosalie-like. Whereas she normally radiated confidence and fearlessness that made people both revel and cower in her presence, it appeared as if the girl standing before me was a completely different person. Rather than the cold, confident, fierce girl that I knew a century ago, the girl standing before me appeared vulnerable, and sad.

"Bella, can I talk to you for a minute?" She asked. I was taken by surprise to say the least. I couldn't imagine what she could possibly want to talk to me about. We were never particularly close back in Forks, and I don't think I've even spoken to her since I showed up. I couldn't deny that I was extremely interested in what she was going to say though.

"Of course. Is everything alright?" She took a deep breath and looked down at her hands.

"No—no it's not. Bella, I really think I owe you an apology." She started to say, but I shook my head.

"Rosalie, you don't have to apol—"

"Please, Bella. I need to get this off my chest." She told me. I took a deep breath and decided to listen to what she had to say. We walked further from the main living room where everyone else was watching Renesmee and Edward play, back to a small dining room area. We both sat down facing eachother and she surprised me again by taking my hands in hers.

"Bella, I want to start by saying that your daughter is one of the most amazing people I've ever met, and in the short time I've known her, she has absolutely captured my heart." She began, and I could feel a smile start to creep up on my face at her sweet words about my favorite girl.

"I know it has been really crazy lately, but even through all of the chaos and confusion, I don't think I have ever been so thankful and happy in my life…And it's all because of you and your daughter." She paused to study my reaction, and quickly picked up where she left off. "Bella, I am so immensely sorry for the way I treated you when you were human. From the minute Edward first met you, you have been a part of this family, and I am sorry that I took my frustration over that fact out on you." I broke eye contact with her when she started to talk about being part of the family. Even though we were sort of family now, it was still a little hard to talk about.

"None of us were the same after we left. Edward was zombie, Esme and Carlisle felt like they'd lost a child, Emmett didn't joke around as much, Alice lost her best friend, Jasper still thinks that everything was his fault, and I…I never realized how much you meant to all of us, Bella, and I regret not getting to know you like I should have back then." She finished, and I gave her a slight smile. Her words really meant something to me and I realized that it must have been hard for her to swallow her pride and apologize. Even after getting everything off her chest, she still looked like there was more she wanted to say. When she noticed me studying her, she let out a slight laugh.

"I promised myself that I would just get that off my chest and then butt out of your business…" She started, not continuing her sentence.

"But?" I prompted, curious to know what else she could possibly have to say. The look that she wore on her face now almost seemed as if she were ashamed about what she was about to say.

"I love my brother, Bella, and he really, really loves you and Renesmee. He knows he screwed up really badly, and I'm not saying that you should just let him off the hook—I know I definitely don't plan on it—but please give him another chance. None of us want to lose you again." She blurted out. If my heart wasn't already dead, I'm sure it would have stopped beating at that moment. I didn't know what to say, so I just sort of stared at her in silence. "Well that took an unexpected turn…but I mean everything that I said." She admitted, and released my hands from hers. I stood up from my seat, but didn't go anywhere. She remained seated at the table with her hands crossed in front of her.

"I—I forgive you, Rosalie." I said softly, and she smiled up at me.

"You can call me Rose., and thank you so much, Bella." She stood up from the table and pulled me into a hug. I couldn't help but smile at the gesture. A hundred years ago, I never would have imagined myself being on good terms with Rosalie, but I was really happy that we were now. I heard footsteps approaching Rosalie and I, and I pulled out of her embrace to see who it was.

"Bella—" Jasper began to say, but I interrupted.

"You too, Jasper. It wasn't your fault." I told him. He nodded, silently thanking me with his eyes before walking away. Right behind him was Alice, who looked at me with an unsure look on her face.

"What about me?" She asked quietly, which was unusual for Alice. She looked similar to what Rosalie looked like earlier—sad and sorrowful—but I didn't think it'd be as easy to forgive her as it was for Rosalie or Jasper. She took my silence as an answer to her question. "It's going to take a little more time. Got it." She said, and I offered her a slight smile which she returned. "Hey, do you mind if I take Nessie shopping this afternoon?" She asked me. Before I could answer though I heard Renesmee yell out a loud "No!" from another room before running into where we were all gathered now.

"What? You love shopping, Ren." I told her, and she gave me a look like I was crazy. I could see Edward walking slowly into the room, but I pretended not to notice. Renesmee scoffed at me, and I laughed at her theatrics.

"Not with her, I don't. I understand that dress shopping takes a while, but it doesn't take two hours to pick out a pair of jeans." She gave Alice a pointed look and Alice and I both chuckled at her. Renesmee directed her attention back to me when I laughed. "Seriously, Mom! You have no idea!" She said before catching her mistake and apologizing. It didn't really offend me though, I was too busy admiring my very funny, extremely dramatic daughter.

"It's okay, Sweetheart." I told her, and she gave me a look that I couldn't quite read. It was a very pleasant look, though. I will say that much. It could have been a mix of admiration, and love, I guess. She immediately walked over and, for the second time in about a minute, I was being embraced in a hug.

"I love you so much. Thank you for being so patient and understanding." She told me. I smiled and hugged her close to me, not wanting to let go. From the corner of my eye, there was a flash and I looked up to see Esme holding a camera. I groaned, and Renesmee chuckled. I hadn't noticed before that all of the Cullens were watching Renesmee and I in awe, especially Edward.

"Stop, Mom. You don't see how beautiful you are." She told me, and my eyes subconsciously looked to Edward, remembering that he used to say the same thing. Just as I expected, he smirked. Before I could look away, his face fell and he turned his attention to Alice, then back to me.

"You know, Bella, I realize that we have all been spending a lot of time with Renesmee. Perhaps the two of you would like to go out and spend the day together?" He suggested. Although the thought was nice, I could very obviously tell he was hiding something, and I think it had to do with a vision of Alice's. I looked to Alice and she had a slightly worried expression.

"Aunt Alice, what is my dad trying to hide?" Renesmee asked, voicing what I had been thinking. Alice looked over to Edward and then back at Renesmee. Edward was the one to answer her question.

"The Denali's are coming, so I just think it'd be best if—" He began to explain, but Renesmee quickly cut him off, her heart beginning to race.

"Is Laurent with them?" She asked. At the sound of his name, I could see anger quickly flash across Edward's face, but it was gone as quickly as it came. He walked over, and tried to soothe her a bit.

"No, he's not, and there's no need to worry. He'll never come anywhere near you, I promise." He told her.

"Is Jordan coming?" She asked, and Edward nodded his head slightly, with a shameful look on his face. I'm not sure why that is. Renesmee had a similar unpleasant look on her face too.

"Okay, then maybe it would be a good idea if we go." She said, but I was still trying to figure out if I'd ever met a Jordan Denali. The name didn't ring any bells. I suppose maybe they met in Volterra before I showed up.

"Who's Jordan?" I asked, and Renesmee and Edward both looked like contemplated answering, but were at a loss for words.

"I'll tell you later, Mama. For now, maybe we should get go—" Before she could finish her sentence, there was a knock on the door, and a low growl escaped from Edward's chest.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Just as I thought, this chapter is split up. There's nothing from this part I feel like I'll change, so I might as well put it up.**

 **Official explanation of not updating for a month: I have worked really hard on this story, and I am really proud of it. Lately, I have had writer's block and it kills me to know that I am so close to the end. I'm sorry it is taking longer between updates, I truly am. I am trying to write, but it just isn't coming to me like it was before. With that being said, I have worked too hard on this story to just rush through the ending with less than satisfactory work. I don't want to finish this just to get it over with, and move on. Some of my favorite stories on here are updated every few months, and have been going on for 3-5+ years. I understand it's frustrating as a reader, but please don't give up on this story. I would hate to have wasted your time. Happy 1 year publication anniversary. 7-23-15**

 **Review please. Tell me thoughts, suggestions, predictions, ideas for my next story (speaking of which, there's a poll on my profile). Goal: 830 reviews.**

 **Taylor**

 *****Friendly reminder, I didn't start updating regularly until January, so for the first 6 months, I updated like once a month.**


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